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New proposals for voter identification.

(270 Posts)
GillT57 Mon 12-Jul-21 13:28:06

Amongst all the understandable excitement about the football, there were things being slipped in 'under the radar' so to speak, one of which is a proposal for photo id at future elections. There will be a requirement to show a passport or driving licence, and those without such can apply to their local authority for a 'free' id card, the costs of which will potentially be down to already over stretched local authorities. David Davis, Conservative MP, has spoken out against this, saying ' it is an illiberal solution for a non existent problem. Is this yet another threat to democracy?

MerylStreep Mon 12-Jul-21 18:45:22

GillT57
but we have never had any thought about voter fraud etc
You might not have had any thought about it, but I have.
I knew a social worker working in this borough when this was happening.

www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-47535867

Alegrias1 Mon 12-Jul-21 18:23:10

I've always objected. It's a bad thing..

Remember No2ID? www.no2id.net/

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 18:05:46

It would be interesting to know if it’s the same people objecting now as it was to Tony Blair‘s proposal. And if not, hmmm ?

Alegrias1 Mon 12-Jul-21 18:04:32

Baggs

Tony Blair wanted to introduce photo ID just for general purposes. He goes back a bit.

My post, today, 16:47.

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 18:02:55

Tony Blair wanted to introduce photo ID just for general purposes. He goes back a bit.

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:59:26

The link for that fact:
commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-9187/

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:58:07

^ But we have never had any thought about voter fraud until this latest Queen's speech when the idea was planted in people's heads?^

Earlier in this thread it was said that voter ID has been talked about since 2014.

GillT57 Mon 12-Jul-21 17:54:50

But we have never had any thought about voter fraud until this latest Queen's speech when the idea was planted in people's heads? Yes, I could pinch my neighbour's voting card when I visit and then go and vote as her, put on a wig and glasses and then vote as myself......but, why would I? The list is ticked as you enter the polling station so assuming my neighbour also voted, it would throw up an anomoly and be a security issue surely? Most polling stations are small affairs with a handful of people, to make multiple visits as different people would take a master of disguise and all day. Why would you?

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:51:50

*poor

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:51:35

2 people were convicted.

This could be just a poo a conviction rate, like with rape.

GillT57 Mon 12-Jul-21 17:49:55

I agree Baggs that in many cases, photo id can be very useful, but surely we do not believe this is the purpose of voter id?

Flexagon Mon 12-Jul-21 17:48:48

At the moment I am sent a white card in the post based on an online voter registration which I made several months before. I take the card along to the polling station where someone looks up the address on the card on a list and gives me a ballot form. How do they know it’s me? How do they know it’s my card? How do they know it doesn’t belong to the previous occupant or someone else in a shared household? Or a card I picked up in the street or from someone’s house I’d been visiting. They don’t.

Each year when the registration form arrives, I am asked who, age 18 or over, is living at the address. What if I entered some random names for fictitious people? Would the borough council check to see if these were real or would I receive a stack of voter cards for them next election. Yes, I could be prosecuted for making a false declaration but with a population of 67 million is anyone checking. I doubt it.

I regularly receive post for a woman in the next road with the same house number and she receives post for me. We have friendly arrangement where we walk these errant items round to one another but what if were weren’t inclined to do that? What’s to stop me using her card or passing that card to someone else? So long as I or someone else uses it early at the polling station before she has gone there herself with the duplicate she may have obtained, who is going to know?

People are saying there is no problem with voter fraud. How does anyone know? How would anyone know, other than me, if I was behaving fraudulently? There may be no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud but there may be plenty of cases of individuals committing small-scale fraud.

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:48:28

Whoops! Only 19 of them (not the great grandchildren).

But still….

You asked for a reason.

GillT57 Mon 12-Jul-21 17:48:11

Gwyneth

A good reason is that it prevents identity fraud.

But, the figures do not back this up. In fact, figures released by Full Fact show Across all ten trial areas in 2019, 1,968 people were turned away for not having the correct ID. Of those people, 740 did not return to vote so more people were turned away, than were convicted.

2 people were convicted.

Surely the money and administration that is being dumped on the shoulders of local authorities could be spent in better ways? Filling in pot holes perhaps ?grin

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:45:47

GillT57

I understand that many on GN don't have a problem with it, but can any of you give a good reason for it?

Having some form of photo ID is actually useful in modern society. This has become clear to me recently when my mother’s 26 descendants had to supply some form of photo ID (plus another kind) before the wishes on her will could be implemented.

Baggs Mon 12-Jul-21 17:43:04

there really is no problem with voter impersonation or fraud

Can you back this up with actual information please.

PippaZ Mon 12-Jul-21 17:35:15

Lin52

rosie1959

Lin52

rosie1959

Alegrias1

A benefit for those without a passport or a driving license they will now have some photographic ID

Why do they need one? My mum's lasted 83 years without one, why start now?

Times are changing try opening a bank account or taking out a mortgage

Think she must have had an ID card during the war.

Did very young children have ID cards

Yes, every man, woman and child had to carry one.
www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/idcards.html

But we are not in a state of war and there really is no problem with voter impersonation or fraud. This is a solution in search of a problem. There isn't one.

Gwyneth Mon 12-Jul-21 17:26:47

A good reason is that it prevents identity fraud.

Gwyneth Mon 12-Jul-21 17:24:23

Can’t see a problem with having to show photo ID as most people have it anyway so why not produce it when you vote?

GillT57 Mon 12-Jul-21 17:14:38

I understand that many on GN don't have a problem with it, but can any of you give a good reason for it?

Lin52 Mon 12-Jul-21 17:14:21

rosie1959

Lin52

rosie1959

Alegrias1

A benefit for those without a passport or a driving license they will now have some photographic ID

Why do they need one? My mum's lasted 83 years without one, why start now?

Times are changing try opening a bank account or taking out a mortgage

Think she must have had an ID card during the war.

Did very young children have ID cards

Yes, every man, woman and child had to carry one.
www.primaryhomeworkhelp.co.uk/war/idcards.html

Barmeyoldbat Mon 12-Jul-21 17:12:09

So how will it work for my disabled daughter with anID provided by the council when it comes to applying and completing her vote.

FlexibleFriend Mon 12-Jul-21 17:09:39

I don't have a problem with it.

Mamardoit Mon 12-Jul-21 17:09:30

Alegrias1

^A benefit for those without a passport or a driving license they will now have some photographic ID^

Why do they need one? My mum's lasted 83 years without one, why start now?

Lots of 83 year olds have a postal vote. I doubt if photo ID would be required for that because it is verified by signature. Senior rail cards and bus passes need a photo. Most older people seem to manage to get those.

Flexagon Mon 12-Jul-21 17:06:05

rosie1959

Everyone, including children, had to carry an identity (ID) card at all times to show who they were and where they lived.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Registration_Act_1939

Note:

Repeal of the Act

On 21 February 1952, it no longer became necessary to carry an identity card. The National Registration Act of 1939 was repealed on 22 May 1952. Even after the National Registration system was abandoned in 1952, the National Registration number persisted, being used within the National Health Service, for voter registration, and for the National Insurance System.