Voter Identity At Future Elections.

MaizieD

mokryna

I have a voter’s card which was issued this year for me and tomorrow I am voting for the sixth time this year.
I have to show it when I enter the voting station, again just before I pop the envelope in the box and again it is verified with my signature.

With the greatest of respect, mokryna, but, 'So What?'

The fact that you do this in another country doesn't make it right or acceptable for the UK.

There hasn't ever been any problem at all in the UK with in person voting (apart from in NI during the Troubles). With no ID necessary...

I feel a lack of respect is being shown towards another country's practice. Many other countries, in fact most (all?) European ones, demand some type of identification before casting a vote. Do you not see it as typical British superiority that we apparently think it unnecessary, is that because people think Brits are intrinsically more honest than the rest of Europe? I don't especially want regular ID cards introduced but wouldn't have a problem if they were. I'm used to having to carry ID when I'm travelling abroad, and would quickly adjust to the same requirement at home. My son, who lives in Canada, is used to having to carry his driving licence if he is in fact driving. It doesn't impact his life in any way.

MaizieD we will have to wait and see if there is a difference in voting after May 23, mainly in postal ones if that is changing at the same time.
Before Brexit I was 100 % British and never had the right to vote.

We need to take ID to use the council dump so don’t have a problem with showing proof of ID for something much more important.

Lots of countries seem to cope well enough with ID cards and I am sure we could do the same.

I find it odd that people just accept it LOUISA - It may be done elsewhere but I loathe the idea of identity verification for anything you have a right to.

Doesn't worry me either way...but have always thought it odd that you don't need ID to vote

mokryna

I have a voter’s card which was issued this year for me and tomorrow I am voting for the sixth time this year.
I have to show it when I enter the voting station, again just before I pop the envelope in the box and again it is verified with my signature.

With the greatest of respect, mokryna, but, 'So What?'

The fact that you do this in another country doesn't make it right or acceptable for the UK.

There hasn't ever been any problem at all in the UK with in person voting (apart from in NI during the Troubles). With no ID necessary...

I have a voter’s card which was issued this year for me and tomorrow I am voting for the sixth time this year.
I have to show it when I enter the voting station, again just before I pop the envelope in the box and again it is verified with my signature.

Joy241

This is a difficult one. Yes, it can be discriminatory, but I do understand that while there are vote fixing scandals around, something needs to be done. It is a balancing act.

which 'vote fixing scandals' are you talking about? Or are you parroting our friend Trump? It really isn't acceptable to make wild statements without evidence.

Chocolatelovinggran

In the area in which I taught it was very common for people to have no driving licence and no passport, and for some living with family, no bill with their name on. It caused difficulties in the process for the DBS certification, if they offered to volunteer. They would not be able to vote in this new regime.

ah, but Maudi says if they have nothing to hide......... There are probably many people like this, and they are being probably disenfranchised, but certainly inconvenienced for no reason at all.

This is a difficult one. Yes, it can be discriminatory, but I do understand that while there are vote fixing scandals around, something needs to be done. It is a balancing act.

volver

^If you have nothing to hide^ ?

That old chestnut!
?

A totally unnecessary hurdle to voting intended to weaken the anti-Tory vote in poorer communities. There was no serious evidence of voter identity fraud in Great Britain.

It was in London about 2 elections ago. I think she told the staff but nothing was done.

Oh, I've just cottoned on the the fact that kircubbin is in NI.

Wasn't it the story that voter ID was introduced during the Troubles because of the 'Vote early, vote often' meme that was doing the rounds?

As it was introduced in 2002 it must have been a long time ago that kircubbin's daughter's vote was stolen. Or was she living on the UK mainland at the time?

As a response to a specific serious problem it is fine by me (though I'd expect the requirement to be removed once circumstances no longer justified it).

volver

Fair point Rosie51. MaizieD's question is the key one then - did the person report it? What happened then?

Thanks, volver.

If I'd turned up to vote and found that someone else had claimed to be me I would not only report it to the Electoral Commission but I would make one big stink about it. Press, social media and anywhere I could.

So I just wondered....

Fair point Rosie51. MaizieD's question is the key one then - did the person report it? What happened then?

volver

kircubbin2000

pinkprincess

I remember during the build up to one General Election my mother, who was suffering from severe dementia received a polling card.The poor soul did not know what day it was never mind who to vote for.My family and I decided to destroy it, rather than allow it to get into the hands of someone who would pretend to be her and so make a vote.

You don't need a polling card to vote. It's just a reminder of where to vote.Anyone can say they are you and give your address. Last time my daughter went to vote her vote had already been taken.

Was she the "one" then?

Because there was only one instance of it in 2019.

Surely you mean, one prosecution? If the person whose vote has been used by someone else didn't attempt to vote, it wouldn't come to light. I am not saying this happens in any numbers, just pointing out it isn't conclusively just one.

kircubbin2000

pinkprincess

I remember during the build up to one General Election my mother, who was suffering from severe dementia received a polling card.The poor soul did not know what day it was never mind who to vote for.My family and I decided to destroy it, rather than allow it to get into the hands of someone who would pretend to be her and so make a vote.

You don't need a polling card to vote. It's just a reminder of where to vote.Anyone can say they are you and give your address. Last time my daughter went to vote her vote had already been taken.

Was she the "one" then?

Because there was only one instance of it in 2019.

kircubbin2000

pinkprincess

I remember during the build up to one General Election my mother, who was suffering from severe dementia received a polling card.The poor soul did not know what day it was never mind who to vote for.My family and I decided to destroy it, rather than allow it to get into the hands of someone who would pretend to be her and so make a vote.

You don't need a polling card to vote. It's just a reminder of where to vote.Anyone can say they are you and give your address. Last time my daughter went to vote her vote had already been taken.

Did she report it? Was anything done about it?

pinkprincess

I remember during the build up to one General Election my mother, who was suffering from severe dementia received a polling card.The poor soul did not know what day it was never mind who to vote for.My family and I decided to destroy it, rather than allow it to get into the hands of someone who would pretend to be her and so make a vote.

You don't need a polling card to vote. It's just a reminder of where to vote.Anyone can say they are you and give your address. Last time my daughter went to vote her vote had already been taken.

Chocolatelovinggran

In the area in which I taught it was very common for people to have no driving licence and no passport, and for some living with family, no bill with their name on. It caused difficulties in the process for the DBS certification, if they offered to volunteer. They would not be able to vote in this new regime.

Yes, Chocolatelovinggran. It's nothing to do with having nothing to hide. It's done deliberately because the poor are immediately disadvantaged ... again.

This ^^, this, a million times this....

Calendargirl

Why not just get a postal vote?

Can’t recall what i/d had to be provided though.

Why should we have to do that?

What is wrong with people that they not only obediently co-operate with unnecessary regulation but they try to persuade the dissenters that it's absolutely fine and normal for citizens' freedoms to be withdrawn on the slimmest of pretexts?

Baaa....

Whitewavemark2

Calendargirl

Why not just get a postal vote?

Can’t recall what i/d had to be provided though.

It doesn’t, and perversely is the easiest way for any fraud to be committed.

I’d echo that - postal vote fraud has certainly been proved to be a thing. I could easily have applied for a PV in my mother’s name when she had dementia and was well past understanding (let alone caring) that an election was imminent.

In the area in which I taught it was very common for people to have no driving licence and no passport, and for some living with family, no bill with their name on. It caused difficulties in the process for the DBS certification, if they offered to volunteer. They would not be able to vote in this new regime.