UK Voter ID
Last April, the Election Act 2022 became law within the UK. The Act introduced a requirement for all those voting in-person to produce photo identification when attending a polling station. This is the first time that such an ID has been required. Prior to this, voters could either bring their polling card to verify their identity at the polling station, or confirm their registered address from the electoral roll with staff. Now a UK driving licence or passport are considered the primary means of identity. A list of additional photo identification that has been deemed acceptable, is available on the UK government website. For those members of the electorate who do not have any of the qualifying ID, there is a Voter Authority Certificate available, which can be applied for online. This photo ID is linked to the applicants National Insurance Number. For further impartial information on photo ID and registering to vote, visit the The Electoral Commission website.
At first glance, the Election Act 2022 will come as no surprise to those living in Europe. Many countries have a requirement for formal ID to be able to vote. However, many European countries have national identity cards schemes making voter ID easy and non-discriminatory. The UK does not currently have a national identity card scheme and has instead chosen to base its voter ID requirement upon documents that are purely optional and not universal among the electorate. Although the Voter Authority Certificate provides a photo ID that is acceptable it is not issued to voters by default and instead has to be personally applied for. In light of this, exactly why has the UK government made changes to a process that has existed and functioned in an acceptable manner for decades? Furthermore are these changes to the UK voting system for the better?
Previously your polling card or just confirming your name and address was sufficient evidence to allow you to vote in the UK
The central argument for the Elections Act 2022, as made by the UK government , is to address alleged voter fraud, especially with postal votes. Due to an ageing population and a workforce that increasingly works outside of traditional “office hours”, there has been an increase in postal voting in recent years. In the 2019 General election 18% of the UK electorate voted by post. However, in-depth analysis by The Electoral Commision and other independent bodies have found little evidence of any kind of voter fraud. Between 2015 and 2019, during which three general elections were held and 153 million in-person votes were cast, only 88 allegations were made of voter fraud. Between 2010 and 2018, there were just two convictions for voter fraud. Due to the size of the UK electorate and the manner in which ballot papers are manually counted, the process does not easily lend itself to fraud. Hence the government's arguments underpinning the Elections Act 2022 are spurious.
It seems to be an inevitable and logical conclusion that the primary reason for the Elections Act 2022 is to marginalise the 1.1 million voters that currently do not hold a UK passport or driving licence. This group is mainly made up of the long term sick, the disabled, those in low income jobs or unemployed. All of which are socioeconomic groups that statistically tend not to vote for the Conservative Party, which has been in office for the last 13 years. Another group who will be impacted by the new legislation are those between the ages of 18 and 25. In the 2019 United Kingdom general election 56% of voters aged 18–24 voted Labour, whereas 67% of 70+ voters voted Conservative, according to polling by YouGov. Upon considering these facts, the Elections Act 2022 is nothing more than a deliberate move to try and disenfranchise a specific part of the UK electorate for political reasons. It is no different from traditional gerrymandering in its insidious nature.
The Oyster card, which allows travel on the tube (metro) in London, is sufficient photo ID for the over 60s to vote, but insufficient ID for anyone under that age
Sadly, although the Elections Act 2022 is a poor and dishonest piece of legislation, it is a reality that has to be endured at the present. Perhaps if there is a change of government in the next election, this legislation will be amended or repealed. Perhaps it is time for the UK to finally have a mature and measured debate about national identity cards. However, those are matters for another day. In the meantime I urge everyone who is eligible to vote in the UK and who does not possess any of the requisite photo ID, to apply and obtain the Voter Authority Certificate. Due to the volatile nature of UK politics at present, there may well be an election sooner rather than later. Because of the nature of the First Past the Post voting system, it is important to ensure as large a voter turnout as possible, especially in marginal constituencies. Voting is a fundamental right of UK citizens and should not be interfered with by any party or institution.
