Voter ID rules 'discouraged' participation in general election, says watchdog

The requirement to bring photo identification to vote in the general election "discouraged some people" from casting their ballot, a watchdog has said.

The rule came into force in 2023 after Boris Johnson's Conservative government introduced the new law to parliament.

But the first time the impact was tested at a general election came in July this year.

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While the Electoral Commission said "almost everyone" was able to take part "successfully", around 16,000 people could not vote because of the ID requirement and others were put off from voting entirely.

Research carried out by the watchdog showed 0.25% of the public were turned away initially due to not having the right documents, with two-thirds of them later returning with the correct ID - but 0.08% were unable to do so.

Its polling also showed 4% of those who chose not to vote said the law was part of their reason for not participating - with those from poorer backgrounds most likely to cite not having accepted ID.

The commission's chief executive Vijay Rangarajan said: "This was the first time all voters across the UK were required to show photographic ID at a general election, and the data shows almost everyone was able to do so successfully.

"However, our research shows that the need for ID discouraged some people from voting - and we don't want to see any voters lose their say.

"Public awareness of the need for voter ID is high across the UK, but there are still groups of voters that are less likely to be aware of the need to show ID or that do not have an accepted form.

"Everyone eligible should have the opportunity to vote, which is why we are recommending changes that will support those who do not currently have ID and improve the accessibility of elections, while maintaining the security of the process."

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Among the recommendations suggested by the watchdog was a review of the list of accepted IDs, calling for it to include student Oyster cards and the Veteran card, as well as a review of the free voter authority certificate to see if issuing it digitally could increase take up.

The commission said it would review how its own public campaigns could offer more help to "minimise the barriers to voting".

Labour voted against the law when it was brought into force by the Tories.

However, it has not committed to revoking it, pledging in its manifesto to instead "address the inconsistencies in voter ID rules that prevent legitimate voters from voting".

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A spokesperson from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: "The government is committed to strengthening our democracy and making sure every legitimate voter can exercise their democratic right to vote.

"The government will carefully consider the report as part of our thorough evaluation of voter ID rules, to understand how they impacted voters, before bringing forward proposals in due course."

A Conservative Party spokesperson also defended the law, saying: "Voter identification has been tried and tested in Northern Ireland since it was introduced by the last Labour government.

"In last year's local elections in England, 99.75% cast their vote successfully, and these new figures for the general election in Great Britain show that 99.92% did so too.

"One would expect these figures to rise further as the practice is embedded, and public awareness increases yet further."