Should the requirement to show photo ID to vote be scrapped?
Voters in UK Parliament elections, local elections in England, and certain other polls must currently show photo ID such as a passport or driving licence before receiving a ballot paper. The requirement was introduced in the Elections Act 2022 to prevent personation fraud, which has resulted in very few convictions. The government is legislating to add bank cards as acceptable ID but has rejected calls to scrap the requirement entirely.
8 Opinions
I'm saying no, but I don't think it needs anything extra, seems OK as it is. Fraud seems to be low, that's success, isn't it?
It’s a simple method to help prevent voter fraud,
When I didn’t have photo ID I applied for a certificate from my local council, for free.
Mi o'n i yn erbyn o, ond yn yr etholiad Senedd dwytha', doedd fy mhartner ddim yn gallu pleidleisio oherwydd fod y gwirfoddolwr yn deud ei bod o wedi bleidleisio yn barod. Yn amlwg, ni wnaeth hyn digwydd, a mae'n siwr 'na "clerical error" oedd o. Ond dal yn siomedig. Edited
The list of acceptable IDs was so long (pages) that it took the bloke over a minute to find my Citizen Card (£15, IIRC). Also, there's a government scheme that provides free ID if you have nothing that qualifies. So the argument that ID is a barrier to voting is void. One vote per person, attending in person whenever possible, IN THE BOOTH ALONE. Allow postal voting only with proof of disability or absence.
If you unable to organize and present ID, I would question not only your ability to vote, but also you ability to independent life. On the other hand, IMO the bigger problem then identity fraud is postal voting, especially that The Electoral Commission does not officially publish election results broken down by postal voting alone. We should end postal voting on demnd - allowing only for immobile people to use this method.
Burnham is apparently rushing to change this, which tells me he's calling a general election soon.