The Northern Ireland Office (NIO) and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland have jointly published a consultation on introducing electronic voter registration and giving councils more involvement in running elections.

The proposals are outlined in a consultation document entitled Future delivery of electoral services in Northern Ireland.

Kris Hopkins, parliamentary under secretary of state for Northern Ireland, said: “I have seen first-hand how councils can play an important role in the delivery of elections, maintaining a vital local link to the wider democratic process.

“I am pleased therefore that this consultation seeks views on giving them an enhanced role.”

The consultation process is due to end in January and if the proposals are adopted, online voter registration would be rolled out by 2019, bringing Northern Ireland in line with Great Britain.

Mr Hopkins added: “Digital registration will bring Northern Ireland into step with the rest of the UK and promises to make registering to vote more straightforward.”

The consultation has been criticised by the Northern Ireland’s biggest public sector union, Nipsa, which claims it is an uncosted bid to “save money and dress it up as reform”.

Nipsa official Dooley Harte said: “This document provides no options but rather is a blatant attempt by the Northern Ireland Office and the chief electoral officer to lead the Northern Ireland public right up the path to a worse service that we could end up paying for.”

He added that the consultation “provides no financial information on what it costs to run the current offices, how much it will cost to devolve functions to councils, what services will be lost or reduced”.