Photographic ID needed for next GE

Only those with something to hide should be worried.

You could equally say that only governments heading for totalitarianism would want them. Neither, of course is true. Our freedom has been very hard won however and many people are not about to hand it to a far-right government.

But we don't need ID cards if we have driving licenses or passports. The free ID cards are just for those who want to vote and don't have other photo ID. So easy to obtain and you would only need to carry it to the polling station. Really not intrusive imo.

If you have a driving license it seems a bit daft to worry about an ID card as there wouldn't be much difference but of course it is not being suggested that we all have them.

I have never been asked for any form of ID when voting. I could be anyone! Yes, let's bring in ID cards.

I also have no problem with presenting some form of ID to collect parcels or whatever. These are optional transactions we can choose to engage with or not.

Compulsory ID cards are another matter. The idea that we should have to carry them is quite repugnant to me Peonyrose... And although you may not think it from this response, I do believe I have "nothing to hide"

I don't consider carrying ID is Draconian in any way Maisie.

No problem with carrying and providing ID. Only those with something to hide should be worried. No ID, no vote, benefits or anything. It is puzzling to me why it hasn't been the law.

I'm glad I'm not the only one, NotSpaghetti

I have no problem with providing ID if it's necessary but I have a big problem with providing it unnecessarily.

I also think that providing ID for bank accounts, collecting parcels or whatever is a completely different situation. That's just for individual transactions between citizens and private concerns. When it comes to interaction between citizen and government it's a completely different ball game with potential for future dystopia.

Are we just sleepwalking into some sort of mass control of the citizenry situation?

I was absolutely against ID cards, too...

Beckett - the fact us we still do have choice re ID cards whether we are in or out of the EU.
I don't honestly see what other countries chose to do really has a bearing on this. I do realise this sounds silly when quoting Australian research into ID cards earlier, but this was around voter fraud.

Please correct me if I'm wrong but I think in Germany you can take your polling card with you and then you don't need ID.
In Sweden (I'm nearly certain it's Sweden, not Norway) if you have no ID with you, others can verify who you are verbally - obviously someone who is with you for example or otherwise knows you.

I still maintain, however, that there are lots of ways to crack the very tiny voter fraud nut without this draconian measure.

Apparently local authorities would provide them free for those who don't have photo ID. I would imagine that when to electoral register letters go out each year there would be something in them to advise what to do.

I agree that postal votes would be easier to misuse but surely that is a separate issue?

I have to go to a meeting next week which won't happen unless I take two photo IDs and a recent bank statement or utility bill. The latter two are quite hard as these are usually done online which is why I still insist on paper bank statements.

I don't see any problem with it. There are numerous occasions when an individual has to show ID.
FWIW , I used to act as a poll clerk at elections. there were times when a person came to vote and there were suspicions that they were impersonating another. when challenged it was often the case that they would leave , To me a proper system of Id cards would assist in knowing if the person was genuine.
People in Eu countries tend to keep ID cards on them . I think it's just us who feel that it is an infringement of our liberty.
If you apply on the housing register for social housing then you have to supply ID , proof of address and lots more info. We live in a world where it is now normal to ask for these things; I don't see it as any more onerous to provide ID to vote than any other activity.

trisher If living here permanently, why not?

They might but as most EU countries already have them would they have had to have a UK one as well as their home counry's?

trisher ID cards might have been a help for those EU citizens applying for settled status here in the UK

It's something I really don't see the point of and the expense is unnecessary. As I said useless for electoral fraud. They like every other piece of plastic will be stolen and forged. As for civil liberties they are so much under threat now that an ID card would just add to the problem, although I suppose if we had had them the Windrush families would have had to be better treated.

As we now live in a digital world, where we can be tracked through our online transactions. We also have more CCTV cameras than any other country in the world.

I cannot see the problem with having to carry an ID card.

So you would be happy for ID cards to be issued in UK - or would you think this was a breach of civil liberties (the main objection when it was previously suggested).

I don't think the objections are to ID cards in theory Beckett and GG13 just to the assumption that a) there is substantial electoral fraud and they would stop it and b) that a driving licence of passport could be used at the next election. Can I remind everyone of my post earlier. A photo ID does not usually carry an address, there are people in the UK with the same name, so John Smith may arrive at the polling station with photo ID but he may not be the John Smith who is entitled to vote, proof of residence is also needed.
Still it's another good soundbite from Boris even if it's like much else he does unreasonable, unworkable and useless.

Beckett I believe the Labour Party installed photo ID in Northern Ireland, if this "suggestion" had come from Jeremy Corbyn or Jo Swinsom it would be greeted with great delight.

Many of those objecting have posted in favour of staying within the EU - of the 28 countries who are members of the EU only 3 don't have identity cards (Denmark, Ireland and UK).

If UK were to remain in the EU and there was a directive that all member states should have identity cards, would you still be objecting?

But there were many complaints, which mustn' be swept under the carpet. Only one case was proved, but it doesn't mean there weren't others.

I'm trying to understand how much of a problem it would be to people to take along photo ID. Anybody under 40 would probably have had a Proof of Age card, so would be used to carrying photo ID.

I agree that there are other issues, but it doesn't mean this one doesn't exist.

Last election 300 cases of fraud out of an electorate of 47million. One person was convicted.

Hardly an existential problem is it?

There are so many other things that need to be done to strengthen our democracy and elections in particular.

This is about an authoritarian populist government following the Trump rule book

Also, someone posted about students registering to vote at university and at home. This is illegal (obviously) and most university student unions explain this. Some also explain the benefits of voting in one or the other area to have maximum vote impact according to your preferred outcome.

A fairly thorough and non-biased study about voter fraud and ID in an Australian context concluded:
“voter ID is not a solution to eliminating fraud, but an additional bureaucratic layer upon the ritual of casting a ballot and a hurdle with unintended consequences.”
(Rethinking voter identification: its rationale and impact,
Graeme Orr, 2016)

I do realise this was Australia (who brought it in and then rejected it) - but it’s an interesting read.

Chestnut Mon 14-Oct-19 16:36:50 yes, there was quite a lot of publicity about it after the last election.

I saw on Twitter this morning that a company is offering free ID cards to anyone who doesn't have photo ID. I appreciate that many of those who don't probably don't use Twitter but if it was widely advertised it could be the answer

growstuff really good points in your last post.