ID for voting - set to exclude young people

You can’t open a bank account or do many financial transactions without photo id of some description because of money laundering so most people will need this anyway, so I don’t think it’s any big deal money wise. What it will do I suppose is to stop students voting twice, once at home and once at uni, or will it?

This is from the GOV.U.K. Website giving the reasons for certain forms of identification nit to be accepted

We’ve had this for years in Northern Ireland, it doesn’t seem to cause problems

Don’t have a problem with voter ID at all. It’s overdue in my opinion. It’s says on GrannyGravy’s upload that accredited Student Union cards will be acceptable. Double voting is a problem though and I don’t know how this will be tackled. Anyone who has two homes can vote twice, they only need a postal vote in one area and to go in person in the other. My son who has two homes pointed this out to me. He only votes once though.

Goodness, we've discussed this a number of times on Gnet ever since the tory government first proposed and legislated for it.

They have introduced voter ID for in person voting without any evidence that there is a problem with in person voter fraud. No wonder it is believed to be a cynical exercise in disenfranchising voters, most particularly voters who aren't likely to vote tory.

The cost, though not particularly significant in the context of a national budget, exists and is hard to justify.

www.electoral-reform.org.uk/government-figures-have-revealed-the-potential-cost-of-voter-id-and-it-is-enormous/

I am always surprised that people are so happy to have their rights removed on such a flimsy pretext.

P.S you can tell me 'til you're blue in the face that we need to produce ID in other circumstances. Or that voter ID is required in your country and nobody minds. It in no way convinces me that we need it in the UK.

So why not just have ID cards?

I have been involved in elections since the 1960's and have always understood, from evidence that voter fraud in UK is practically nil. So, to bring in ID for voting seems to be an expensive exercise to control a non-existent crime.

However, it is noted how virtually anything and everything can be used by older voters (who they think are more likely to vote Conservative ( at least those who bother to vote at all), whereas very strict control on voting for younger ones who evidence suggestes are more likely to vote other than conservative.

As for students voting twice - any evidence of this?? As I have said Voter Fraud is practically non-existent.

Evan Matt Hancock admitted that in the last electrion there had been just six (yes six) cases of voter fraud in UK. So, why does anything need to change????

It is also clear that you can, absent anything other form of ID, get a voter ID card for free. So it will be important to keep that information in the spotlight.
And if you do vote twice, you are committing a criminal offence - of course people do sometimes without getting caught, because someone needs to inform on them. But should they do so, it carries serious consequences.
Usually, come election time, you can ask the party you support which constituency you are best to vote in - if you are registered twice.
Many years ago, when DH was working away from home, he was registered twice, and of course, used his vote in the marginal constituency. There were many recounts, and the majority (for the party we supported) was one of the lowest ever.

Just because there’s no evidence doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen. Or that people with two houses don’t vote twice. If there’s no evidence it simply means no one has bothered to look for evidence. I did see a report on television a few years ago where this was discussed as being something that can happen.

Of course voting twice could be stopped by not allowing a voter to register at two addresses, but there would need to be robust checks in place to prevent it happening.

Don't they tick you off a register when you arrive to vote though? That must stop you voting multiple times.

The ID is required for in person voting only. Very simple solution for anyone (young or old) who doesn't have a valid passport or driving licence - and many older people don't - is to register for a postal vote.

Franbern

I have been involved in elections since the 1960's and have always understood, from evidence that voter fraud in UK is practically nil. So, to bring in ID for voting seems to be an expensive exercise to control a non-existent crime.

However, it is noted how virtually anything and everything can be used by older voters (who they think are more likely to vote Conservative ( at least those who bother to vote at all), whereas very strict control on voting for younger ones who evidence suggestes are more likely to vote other than conservative.

As for students voting twice - any evidence of this?? As I have said Voter Fraud is practically non-existent.

They don't get it, do they, Franbern?

Removing a freedom on the pretext that something 'might' be happening is appalling, just so appalling that I can't adequately express how appalled I am without being deleted...

Pigs 'might' fly, maddyone, but we don't lock them away without any evidence that they do...

The assertions that older people have ID is also false. I don’t have a driving license with a photograph. I do have my provisional from the 70s which I can produce if the insist on a “driving license” for something stupid.
I don’t have a valid passport or a bus pass. So… disenfranchised then.

It’s obvious to see the underlying motive behind this legislation.
I think many are just waking up to the fact of the implications of some of the legislation which has been passed whilst people were preoccupied with covid and the shenanigans around Johnson.

The reason there is little evidence of voter fraud is because there are no ID checks - so that argument is a bit weak. If you wanted to vote as someone else no one would know .

They don't get it, do they, Franbern?
No, Maisie they don't.

Removing a freedom on the pretext that something 'might' be happening is appalling, just so appalling that I can't adequately express how appalled I am without being deleted..
I'm with you here too.

Pigs 'might' fly, maddyone, but we don't lock them away without any evidence that they do...
True.

Even if you agree with ID, how is this fair?

I’ve just seen one Maizie

aggie

We’ve had this for years in Northern Ireland, it doesn’t seem to cause problems

You can get an electoral identity card aggie.

nadateturbe

aggie

We’ve had this for years in Northern Ireland, it doesn’t seem to cause problems

You can get an electoral identity card aggie.

....And it's free.

vegansrock

The reason there is little evidence of voter fraud is because there are no ID checks - so that argument is a bit weak. If you wanted to vote as someone else no one would know .

Indeed!

There is never evidence for anything unless someone looks. No one will find anything if they’re not looking. I’m not saying there is or isn’t voter fraud, I don’t know because no one has looked, but what I do know is that there is capacity for voter fraud. A person simply needs two addresses and to register to vote at each address.