The Electoral Reform Society has launched a petition protesting the introduction of Photo ID in the upcoming local elections in May, amid widespread concerns from organisations including the Salvation Army and Stonewall that the new rules will deny thousands their democratic right to vote.

Voters will need to show ID for the first time in the upcoming English local elections on 4th May, impacting all local residents. The new rules were introduced despite the fact that government-commissioned research found that over two million people don’t have any recognisable photo ID.

The Electoral Reform Society reports that, shockingly, under 20,000 people have applied for a free Voter Authority Certificate so far – the only option if you don’t have one of the government’s approved forms of ID. The deadline to apply for a VAC is 25th April.

“Councillors will get elected with margins smaller than the number of voters the government turned away,” argues the Society on its petition page, which has garnered over 127,000 supporters so far. “Every vote matters – the government shouldn’t turn away voters.

“We can’t run an election like this – we need to cancel the scheme so nobody’s right to vote is taken away.”

You can add your name to the Electoral Reform Society petition here.

Lack of Photo ID impacts two million voters

Possession of photo ID is uneven in the UK, with those short on time and money less likely to have the required paperwork. The Society, and others, argue the law will make it harder for those already having a tough time to have their say, and it seems their concerns are supported by the low take up of Voter Authority Certificates.

The government trialled this policy ID during the 2018 and 2019 English local elections in a handful of affluent local authorities. Even with public information campaigns, over one thousand voters were refused a ballot for not having the right paperwork.

Millions of people lack the strictest forms of photo ID in the UK, such as a passport or driving licence. Government-commissioned research found that two per cent of people don’t have any form of photo ID (including expired or unrecognisable) and four per cent don’t have recognisable ID (roughly 2.1 million people) – making mandatory voter ID a barrier to many people exercising their right to vote.

Now the costly Photo ID scheme has been rolled out this scheme to everyone for the 2023 local elections, prompting concerns and opposition from groups as wide ranging as the Salvation Army to Stonewall, Age UK and racial equality organisations. They all fear they will impact some people more than others, and pull up the drawbridge to people across the country.

“Evidence from around the world shows that forcing voters to bring photographic ID to the polling station just makes it harder for people to vote,” says the Society, “while doing little to increase faith in the integrity of the system… Research shows that more disadvantaged groups are less likely to have ID.

“The Government think their scheme could cost up to £180,000,000 a decade. We don’t need to spend millions to put up barriers to people taking part in our democracy.”

UK elections are safe and secure

Voting is safe and secure in Britain, and public confidence in the running of elections is the highest since 2012. According to the Electoral Commission’s latest tracker of public opinion, 80 per cent of people are confident that elections are well run, 87 per cent said voting in general is safe from fraud and abuse, and 90 per cent that voting at the polling station is safe.

“We need to be combatting the huge challenges that undermine our democracy, not putting up paywalls around polling stations,” say the ERS.

“Nine million people are missing from the electoral roll, there are glaring loopholes in our campaign rules and online political adverts still don’t have to say who paid for them. But the government needs to think very carefully before using an extremely blunt instrument to deal with a complex and varied issue.

“So while voter ID might sound like an easy option, raising barriers to voting is rarely something to be welcomed, particularly in our already less-than-perfect democracy.”

Councils get no extra money for Photo ID rollout

The rollout of Photo ID is proving costly to, too. New A4 polling cards and envelopes will cost £55 million, and cash-strapped councils have also been forced to spend £1.3m on thousands of mirrors and privacy screens needed to perform ID checks.

Last month, a £5.6 million publicity campaign promoting voter ID started – designed to let people know about these changes. Despite these millions, electoral administrators warn that it still isn’t enough – based on 2019’s turnout it would be just 17p per voter. Councils are receiving no extra money specifically to warn people about the new rules – they will have to decide whether to inform people about the changes or recruit more poll workers to deal with the confusion, and turn people away.

The Electoral Commission’s campaign, is intended to let people know how to apply for the new free voter ID certificate. But with just months to go until polling day, the Government web pages explaining where people can apply for a free photo ID wasn’t ready for the launch of the campaign, although it is live now.

• You can add your name to the Electoral Reform Society petition here

• Electoral Reform Society – Voter ID: An Expensive Distraction

Apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate

• GovUK: Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’)

You only need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you do not have accepted photo ID; you no longer look like the photo on your ID; or the name on your photo ID is different to your name on the electoral register. The deadline to apply online to vote in the May elections is 25th April 2023.

If the name on your photo ID is different, you can register to vote again or take a document with you to vote that proves that you have changed your name.

Voters can apply for a postal vote and send it off, or even drop it off at the polling station by hand, without having to show any ID.

Check if you have accepted photo ID

Before you apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, check if you already have accepted photo ID and when you need it to vote

You’ll need one of the following types of photo ID to vote from 4th May 2023 in UK Parliament by-elections, local elections in England (including councils, mayors, the Greater London Authority and parishes), recall of MP petitions in England, Scotland and Wales, Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales, neighbourhood planning referendums and Business Improvement District referendums in England; and local authority referendums in England (including Council Tax increase referendums).

  • a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
  • a driving licence issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands
  • a UK passport
  • a passport issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country
  • a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • a Blue Badge
  • a biometric residence permit (BRP)
  • a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
  • a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein
  • a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
  • a Voter Authority Certificate
  • an Anonymous Elector’s Document

You can also use one of the following travel passes as photo ID when you vote:

The photo on your ID must look like you. You can still use your ID even if it has expired.

Electoral Reform SocietyLancaster City CouncilLocal ElectionsPolitics
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