EONI Annual Report 2024–25 Published: A Year of Record Engagement and Rapid Modernisation
The Electoral Office for Northern Ireland (EONI) has today had its 2024–25 Annual Report published by the House of Commons Library, providing one of the most detailed insights to date into how Northern Ireland’s electoral system is evolving. It charts a year defined by major electoral delivery, unprecedented levels of voter registration and significant progress in digital modernisation. The full report can be viewed here: Report of the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland 2024/2025
What emerges is a picture of an organisation working at remarkable pace, often with limited resources, to maintain democratic confidence at a time of shifting political expectations and rising public demand for digital services.
Delivering the 2024 General Election
The 2024 UK General Election was the defining operational challenge of the year, and the report makes clear just how significant that undertaking was.
Although EONI’s core staff sits at just over 20 full-time equivalents, the organisation successfully mobilised the wider workforce required for a national poll. Around 6,000 polling and count staff were recruited. A total of 605 polling places operated across Northern Ireland. Approximately 1.4 million poll cards were printed and delivered. Counts in Belfast, Craigavon and Magherafelt ran through the night and concluded without major issues.
A Record Electorate and a Digital Transformation
One of the most striking insights from the report is the scale of public engagement with the electoral system during the year. As of 1 December 2024, the local government register reached its highest point in history, with just under 1.4 million electors.
The shift to digital registration has become a defining feature of electoral participation. Around 98 per cent of all registration and re-registration activity was completed online. The “Am I Registered?” service saw sustained growth as voters increasingly checked their status digitally. Meanwhile, the new online application route for the Electoral Identity Card, launched in March 2025, attracted more than 2,500 applications almost immediately.
These trends matter. High registration levels do not automatically translate to turnout, but they do expand the reachable electorate and shape campaign strategies, particularly among younger and digitally engaged demographics.
Register Integrity and Data Quality
Behind the scenes, EONI continued to place strong emphasis on the accuracy of the electoral register. Around 15,000 records relating to deceased electors were removed through systematic data-matching processes. The Chief Electoral Officer again advised against conducting a full canvass, noting that the current statutory model risks degrading data rather than improving it.
Instead, the report reinforces a strategic direction toward a rolling, data-driven canvass model, positioning Northern Ireland firmly within the broader conversation across the UK about the future of register maintenance.
The Chief Electoral Officer’s Foreword: Capacity, Trust and the Road to 2027
The foreword is particularly notable this year. It emphasises both achievement and strain: an organisation delivering at scale but operating with a very lean core team, and a growing dependence on technology at a time when resilience and cybersecurity are rising priorities.
It also sets a clear tone for the years ahead. With combined elections scheduled for 2027, the foreword underscores the importance of stable funding, modern digital infrastructure and reliable data systems. The message is one of cautious confidence but also a call for sustained investment to ensure that electoral delivery keeps pace with public expectation.
Digital Modernisation and Future Planning
Modernisation continues to be a central theme throughout the report. During the year EONI launched a redesigned website with improved accessibility and user experience. Data processes were strengthened across multiple service areas. Early work began on new election management software, although implementation is being phased to reduce risk and ensure resilience.
Planning has already commenced for the 2027 combined elections, reflecting the long lead-in times required to deliver complex electoral events effectively.
Looking Ahead
The 2024–25 report reflects an organisation that is evolving quickly while holding firm to the principles of accuracy, accessibility and public trust. Registration numbers are rising. Digital services are expanding at speed. Operational delivery remains robust. Yet the report also highlights the pressures that come with this progress: limited staffing, complex technology needs and the growing importance of reliable data.
Northern Ireland’s electoral system is modernising rapidly, the public’s engagement with it is increasing, and the next two years will be crucial in strengthening the systems that underpin the 2027 elections.