Next May we have our local elections, but things are changing and before casting our votes in person or by proxy at next year’s elections, it is likely that we will all have to prove who we are before being able to do so. Earlier this year the Elections Act 2022 was passed by the UK Parliament, which will require voters in Great Britain to show photo ID before being issued a ballot paper in polling stations at UK Parliamentary elections, local council elections and referendums in England and police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales. This will also apply to a proxy voter, someone voting in person on someone’s behalf.
Voter ID is designed to prevent personation, the crime of pretending to be someone else when you vote and that voter ID will protect voters from having their vote stolen. The voter ID provisions are due to be in place for the May 2023 local elections in England and at any UK Parliamentary election held after that date. The types of ID to be allowed include passports, photographic driving licences, biometric immigration documents and some concessionary travel passes.
Free voter document
A new free voter document, voter authority certificate (VAC), is available for those without any other form of photographic ID. People are likely to be able to apply for these from January 2023.
Concerns over timetable
However, concerns have been raised by electoral administrators and the Electoral Commission, about the timetable for introduction of voter ID and the new VACS for local elections next May and are calling for the introduction of voter ID requirements to be delayed. But the government remains committed to delivering voter ID in time for the May 2023 elections.
Opposition
During the passage of the Elections Bill, opposition parties highlighted concerns that requiring photo ID might disenfranchise some voters. Cat Smith (Labour) said, “Concerns have been raised from across the House and from charities and campaigning organisations that disabled people, older people, younger people and people without the spare cash to buy that passport or driving licence are going to be disenfranchised.”
Brendan O’Hara (SNP) highlighted that the incidence of personation was low saying, “voter fraud at polling stations barely reaches the height of minuscule... We have to ask: what is the problem they are seeking to solve?”
During the Lords stages of the bill an amendment from Lord Willets (Conservative) was passed that extended the list of types of ID to other types of photo ID and non-photo ID. The amendment was overturned by the House of Commons. The government’s view was the types of ID listed were not sufficiently secure and might be prone to fraud.
Current requirements
People voting in polling stations in Great Britain currently do not normally need to present any form of ID before receiving a ballot paper. Why change the system if it works?
Since 2014, the Electoral Commission has recommended that ID should be required in Great Britain before voters are issued with a ballot paper. In August 2016 the then government anti-corruption champion, Lord Pickles, published a report on electoral fraud. It highlighted the trust-based nature of polling station voting and recommended that the government should consider voter ID. He suggested the government pilot various options before introducing a system nationwide.
Pilots were held in 2018 and 2019. The government declared them a success following its own evaluations and committed to introducing a voter ID scheme.
My thanks go to Guy Harris for raising this subject which I felt should be shared.
