Mary Dejevsky

Why voters should have to show photo ID

This week’s publication of the Elections Bill has given pressure groups and others a fresh opportunity to complain about what they see as the latest manifestation of this government’s illiberalism: a requirement for people to produce photo ID when they go to vote. Forgive me, but I fail to see what is so terrible, so undemocratic, about that.

The arguments go like this. First of all, opponents say, any change is unnecessary, as the UK simply doesn’t have a problem with voter fraud – with impersonation, say, or multiple voting. Trust in the UK electoral process is high and the instances of fraud are infinitesimal compared with the numbers of votes cast. There was once a problem in Northern Ireland – which is why mandatory photo ID was introduced there – but this is an exception. The estimated cost, at £20m per election, could be better spent trying to encourage political engagement.

Second, with the government itself acknowledging that around two million people lack any current recognisable photo ID, any change could disenfranchise several million voters. The Electoral Reform Society, which has spearheaded objections to the proposed change, estimates that as many as 3.5 million people could be excluded, with almost half of those it surveyed without photo ID saying they would be unlikely or very unlikely to apply for the free electoral card the government has promised.

The ERS further argues that those disenfranchised would be disproportionately from poor, minority or otherwise disadvantaged groups. So not only would this part of the electorate be discriminated against, but the vote could be skewed in favour of the better off (that is, they assume, in favour of the Tories). This cause has been taken up enthusiastically by the Labour party, with Cat Smith, the shadow secretary of state for young people and democracy, claiming that the government is ‘trying to change the rules and rig our democracy in their favour’.





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