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Voter ID: The controversial new voting restrictions explained [1]
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Date: 2023-02
Voters could be turned away from polling stations for the first time at the local elections in May after the government made proof of ID a requirement last year.
The government says the changes are necessary to counter fraud, but it has faced accusations of voter suppression from critics and was forced to dismiss warnings that there is not enough time to implement the bill.
What is voter ID?
In previous elections, most voters in the UK were not required to provide any form of identification at polling stations in order to be able to vote in elections. If you wanted to vote on election day, all you had to do was arrive at your local polling station and provide your name and address before being given a ballot paper.
That is all set to change from the upcoming local elections in May as a result of the Elections Act 2022. Under this new law, people will have to have their identity confirmed by presenting photo ID to staff at polling stations before they are allowed to vote.
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In Northern Ireland, voters have had to show some form of identification since 1985. The requirement was brought in after more than 149 arrests were made for impersonation during the June 1983 general election.
Why does the government say it’s needed?
The government claims the law will protect voters from having their vote stolen. It has argued that the ID requirements already exist for everyday activities, such as picking up a parcel, and that voting should be no different.
However, Full Fact has pointed out that the Post Office accepts a wider range of ID to pick up a parcel than the government allows voters to use to vote.
What do critics say about it?
MPs, including senior Tory backbenchers, have questioned the rationale behind the measures given that levels of electoral fraud are low.
“Voter ID is an illiberal policy in pursuit of a non-existent problem,” wrote Tory MP and former minister David Davis in openDemocracy last year.
“The number of allegations and convictions for voter impersonation are so low that requiring photographic ID is a wholly disproportionate response: just 88 allegations of in-person voter fraud were made between 2015 and 2019, during which time a total of 153 million votes were cast, including at three separate general elections.”
What’s more, the 88 allegations led to just three actual convictions for voter fraud.
Civil rights groups argue that the new requirements could lead to some voters being disenfranchised. Race equality think tank Runnymede Trust has warned that the changes will disproportionately affect voters from racialised backgrounds.
“Proposals outlined in the Elections Bill to introduce mandatory voter identification requirements pose a risk for Black and ethnic minority groups, who already face barriers to registering to vote,” the trust wrote in evidence submitted to the government.
“Possession of a form of photo ID is not even across the population. The government’s own figures show that 24% of white people in England do not possess a full driving licence, compared to 39% Asian and 47% of Black people. According to the 2011 census, only 66% of those of Gypsy or Irish Traveller background hold a passport.”
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[1] Url:
https://www.opendemocracy.net/en/voter-id-elections-act-fraud-disenfranchisement/
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