For the first time ever, anyone voting in England’s local elections next month will have to show a form of photographic ID just to cast their vote.
While the deadline to register to vote in the elections was 11.59pm on Monday, April 17, the deadline to apply for free voter ID in time for the upcoming elections in May is 5pm, tonight (Tuesday, April 25).
Here’s why this is such a big deal, and how to make sure your vote counts.
What is voter ID?
Everyone looking to vote in the UK will now have to produce photo ID at the polling stations, if voting in person.
That can include a passport, driving licence, a blue badge or any other forms of identification as listed on the gov.uk’s website here.
As the website explains: “The photo on your ID must look like you. You can still use your ID even if it has expired.”
However, if you do not have any forms of photo ID which qualify, your appearance looks different or your name has changed, you can apply for free voter ID. This is also called a voter authority certificate.
To apply, you’ll need a recent digital photo of yourself and your National Insurance number.
You can also use other documents to prove your identity, like a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill.
You also need to already have registered to vote beforehand.
Why is it so important right now?
The deadline for applying for free voter ID to vote for the local elections in England will pass at 5pm, today.
The government says insisting on voter ID for anyone looking to vote at polling stations is meant to stop “voter personation”, a form of fraud where someone impersonates another.
It’s kicking in for the first time ever in England ahead of the May 4 local elections.
More than 8,000 council seats are up for grabs across 230 local authorities and mayoral elections in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.
And from May, voter ID will be necessary for anyone voting in person in recall petitions, parliamentary by-elections and police and crime commissioner elections.
It will also apply to general elections across the country from October.
Why is the government introducing voter ID?
The government claims it will stop voter fraud and protect democracy.
Defending its decision to push ahead with voter ID, a government spokesperson said: “We cannot be complacent when it comes to ensuring our democracy remains secure.
“Everyone eligible to vote will have the opportunity to do so and 98% of electors already have an accepted form of identification.
“Photo identification has been used in Northern Ireland elections since 2003 and we’re working closely with the sector to support the rollout and funding the necessary equipment and staffing.”
The move is expected to add the hefty sum of £180 million to the total cost of running elections across a decade.
Are there many examples of voter fraud?
The UK actually has low levels of proven electoral fraud. There was not a single proven example of in-person voter fraud during last year’s local and mayoral elections.
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has called voter personation is “vanishingly rare”, with just four cases out of 243 million votes cast over the last decade of elections in the UK.
The Electoral Reform Society’s Darren Hughs also told Sky News that it was a “solution looking a problem”, a barrier that was “expensive and unnecessary”.
Why are there so many opponents to voter ID?
There are fears introducing voter ID will amount to “voter suppression”, meaning millions cannot contribute to the democratic process.
Marginalised groups are less likely to have ID according to campaigners with women, those living in urban areas, people under 20 and over 65 less likely to hold a driving licence.
A Department for Transport survey from January found that only 53% of the Black community hold a driving licence, compared to 76% of the white population.
Young people’s travel cards are also not being accepted – a group which is known to be less likely to vote Conservative.
And trials of voter ID in the 2018 and 2019 local elections more than 1,000 would-be voters were turned away from polling stations – and did not return.
A campaign opposing the laws have subsequently taken off, with more 100,000 signatures including from campaign groups Unlock Democracy, the Electoral Reform Society, Open Britain and Fair Vote UK.
What happens next?
This could have a substantial knock-on effect for the number of people who can vote.
Even though the Electoral Commission, which oversees elections, has been trying to advertise these changes, and offering a free certificate to vote, it seems not many people know about the new voting rules.
Polling from Ipsos UK found that four in 10 still have not heard very much or anything at all about the changes, and 12% were likely to bring an ineligible form of ID.
As of Wednesday, April 19, only 69,852 people had applied for a certificate.
This is significantly lower than the government’s estimate of around 4% of the population, equating to 2.1 million people, who do not have a valid form of photo ID.