Photographic ID needed for next GE

I agree that it's a good idea newnanny

I am of the opinion that everyone should carry photographic ID anyway.

I am amazed we have not had anything like this before- at least proof of address for instance to prevent fraud.
Multiple voting used to be so rife in NI the slogan was “Vote early, vote often”

It's a ridiculous idea designed to appeal to the unthinking 'lor 'n order' tory followers.

If there's going to be any voter fraud it will be from postal voting, which ID can't do anything about.

What requiring photo ID will do is disenfranchise people who don't have any photo ID (as was discovered in the pilot). Believe it or not, many people don't have passports and many people either don't drive or don't have photo card type driving licences (I've still got my paper one). So it could well be seen as gerrymandering...

Even if the government is willing to issue, free of charge, an ID card to every citizen this idea is a bit of state controlfreakery we can do without.

a good idea, at last. might cut down on all sorts of cheats

What cheats would those be, craftyone?

Do you have evidence of widespread cheating (apart from postal vote cheating) in UK elections? Or do you just 'think' that it happens?

I seem to remember reading about Luthar Rahman ex mayor of Tower Hamlets and electoral fraud.

What happens about online voting and postal votes? Ij jjdon't agree with photo ID, who is to sign the form to say its a true likeness and how much will they charge for it.

I think its just another Boris scam.

I’m another who thinks that we should all have photographic identity cards anyway. We had to carry these routinely in various countries we lived in, without any problems. I can’t see why people think it should be a problem here.

Totally agree with this. Cannot see the problem with proving who you are before placing your X in the box.

I have never even been asked for my polling card, I could have just looked down at the list of addresses and picked one out that had not been crossed off!!!

Also feel that there is a need to rethink the postal voting system as it to is open to abuse/fraudulent voting.

We need photographic ID to pick up a parcel from our local PO sorting office.

As Maizie and others say quite rightly says, it’s postal and online voting that cause the problems. People who are going to scam the system will just switch to those forms of voting ( if indeed they ever went to the bother of actually getting themselves to a voting station) so I don’t imagine the number of fraudulent votes will drop dramatically as a result. Makes for good headlines though for people who think that the UK is too soft/the law is an ass/etc

Not necessarily photo I.D. MaizieD although many of us will have it on driving licences, bus passes etc but some evidence such as a utility bill to prove our address.
I remember having to produce a utility bill for my first mobile phone contract, for my membership of our local Art Gallery (entitling me to free admission and a discount on purchases).
There is no infringement of our civil liberties to have to give proof that we are who we say we are.
Identity theft can take many forms.

an OK ish idea but hardly a priority right now.

It should be possible to set up a system that those without ids can get a photo, take proof of identity (bank statement, utility bill, letter about pensions or anything else suitable) or even someone with a passport and proof of identity as above to vouch for them, visit a Post Office or similar and have one issued.

If a vote matters that much you will find a way of doing it.

Wouldn't be very difficult to do. Most people of voting age will have such a document already.

I don't see photo ID as a problem for voting although, until I got my bus pass, the only thing I had was my passport (almost expired now) as my driving licence is still the paper one.

DH used to work in a library type facility at a nearby university and it was common for students, especially those from overseas where systems were different, to lend their smartcards to each other. At least photo ID would help to prevent voting fraud.

But here, one of the people manning the polling station lives locally and knows everyone, so photo ID wouldn't really be necessary....

its a problem for people living on the breadline who dont have passports or driving licenses etc.Maybe thats why Boris wants it..stops the poor from having their voices heard!

MawB proof of address would not work as a person could lend a utility bill to another person and they vote twice. Only photo ID can stop electoral fraud. Driving Licence, Passport, Bus Pass or anything else official with users photo on. I agree postal voting is a big problem and a strategy needs to be developed to prevent it. Why would anyone with nothing to hide mind carrying an ID card.

What electoral fraud are we talking about? As far as I am aware the current voting in person system has not been found to be a problem. If anyone has evidence to the contrary please do post it.

It's postal voting that is the problem which ID will not solve.

It's just dogwhistle politics IMO (as you may have gathered )

P.S As I recall the officials at the polling stations have a list with your address and name on it. Which is crossed off when you get your ballot paper. You'd have to be pretty determined to impersonate someone else and vote more than once...

Totally agree that it is postal/proxy voting which is more problematic and needs an overhaul.

Anything which helps to prevent voter fraud under any circumstances has to be a good thing.

As I posted earlier, it is more difficult to pick up a parcel from the PO than vote which IMO is wrong.

We have photo ID for bus passes, places of work, colleges/Universities and many other institutions. Surely being able to prove who you are and your right to vote can only be a good thing, and would help stop the allegations of electorial fraud which seems to occur more often of late.

Just to set the numbers in context - how many people voting in person do so fraudulently compared to those voting by post or online?

I have POA for my daughters financial affairs and believe me it was difficult enough for her to open a bank account in her own name. No utility bills with her address, no passport, no driving licence or bus pass. She lives in a very rural area and uses a wheelchair. Tell me easy will it be her to get ID or even afford it. As I said, a scam by Boris.

I imagine it will be poor people who will not have photo ID so it is in fact a way of stopping them from voting. If you can't afford a holiday abroad and don't drive what are you supposed to do? You won't have a passport or a driving licence. It's pure Tory grandstanding for political gain.