Cable Forum - Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

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Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/u...-a9154936.html

Quote:

Voter ID: Government announces plan to prevent UK citizens voting without photographic proof of identity at polling stations

The government has announced plans to prevent people from voting unless they can provide photographic identification, prompting accusations it is attempting to “rig the next election”.

Under plans unveiled in the Queen’s Speech, Boris Johnson’s Conservatives will require voters to produce photographic ID at the ballot box for parliamentary elections and English local elections, in what critics have called a “dangerous and undemocratic” reform.

A trial of the scheme in local elections this year saw 800 people reportedly turned away from polling stations, leading Labour to urge the policy be “abandoned immediately”. On Monday, shadow voting minister Cat Smith claimed the announcement was a “blatant attempt by the Tories to rig the result of the next general election”.

Voter ID, intended to “tackle electoral fraud and protect our democracy”, is among a number of electoral changes the government is seeking to introduce. Under the scheme, anyone who does not have photographic ID will be able to apply for a free document proving their identity.

But Darren Hughes, of the Electoral Reform Society (ERS), said “these plans will leave tens of thousands of legitimate voters voiceless”.

There doesn't seem to be much (validated) evidence of voter fraud in the UK - Out of 44.6 million votes cast in 2017, there was one conviction resulting from the 28 allegations of in-person voter fraud.

https://www.electoralcommission.org....ral-fraud-data

Quote:

In 2018, there was no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud.

Of the 266 cases that were investigated by the police, one led to a conviction, and two suspects accepted police cautions.

In 2017, there was one conviction and eight suspects accepted police cautions.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

So how do you know how much fraud there was? That is the point, it can, and does go unnoticed. Where there was trial of the scheme, the potential fraudsters will have avoided it. Therefore lack of suspected fraud in that trial is meaningless. It could even be seen as a sign that the scheme worked.

Tower Hamlets election fraud mayor Lutfur Rahman removed from office

Quote:

Their lawyers made a series of allegations, including "personation" in postal voting and at polling stations and ballot paper tampering.

Quote:

And for the government - should the Law Commission be asked to look at making it easier to challenge elections if there is a suspicion of fraud?
It took four local individuals in this case to risk a legal bill of hundreds of thousands of pounds to get this election overturned.

Maybe that the real reason for lack of discovered cases.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

This would seem to be the resurrection of a national identity card scheme.

Some very quick checking shows
76% of population have a passport
33.6 million people have a drivers licence

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nomadking (Post 36013820)

Or...

There aren't many.

Occam's razor (rather than lots of hypothetical unevidenced guesses).

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees (Post 36013827)

33.6 million people have a drivers licence

I'm one of them, I have the paper license with no photo :p:

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mrmistoffelees (Post 36013827)

This would seem to be the resurrection of a national identity card scheme.

Some very quick checking shows
76% of population have a passport
33.6 million people have a drivers licence

So squaring the circle l would hazard a guess that several million voters don't have any of those two so unless there are other ways of confirming their identification that rules them out of casting their democratic vote.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carth (Post 36013833)

I'm one of them, I have the paper license with no photo :p:

Ditto.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carth (Post 36013833)

I'm one of them, I have the paper license with no photo :p:

l have neither.:(

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

quote from the first post by Hugh . . .

Quote:

Under the scheme, anyone who does not have photographic ID will be able to apply for a free document proving their identity.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carth (Post 36013837)

quote from the first post by Hugh . . .

That's exactly what I was thinking!

I suspect that by introducing this policy, the Labour Party is more likely to benefit from extra votes.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

The only thing I can see this achiving is a much lower turnout.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Well I think it’s a good idea.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

I might be missing something, but I can't see how having a passport or a photo driving license etc will help if I sign the appropriate part of my post vote then hand it over to my local conservative party activist to fill in the rest on their way to the post box.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carth (Post 36013837)

quote from the first post by Hugh . . .

Thanks as l must have missed that.

Re: Government intends to bring in Voter ID law.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Carth (Post 36013833)

I'm one of them, I have the paper license with no photo :p:

Dito.