LONDON: Controversial plans to require voters to show photographic ID before casting their ballots have been introduced in Parliament.
Boris Johnson’s Government has been accused of “Trumpian tactics” to “rig democracy” with Labour claiming the plans could lock millions of people out of the democratic process. But ministers insisted the Elections Bill will strengthen the integrity of the process and make it “more inclusive”. With the Government facing a Supreme Court challenge over its voter ID pilots – a case Labour said will not be heard until January – the Opposition warned that the Government could be forcing a potentially unlawful policy through Parliament.
Under the legislation, party campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes and postal vote “harvesting” will be banned by limiting the number of votes that a person may hand in on behalf of others.
It will become an offence for a person to attempt to find out or reveal who an absent voter has chosen to vote for. Under the most controversial element of the Bill, it will be a requirement for voters to show an approved form of photographic identification before collecting their ballot paper to vote in a polling station.
The provisions will apply across the UK in general elections – although similar measures have been in place in Northern Ireland since 2003. A free, locally issued Voter Card will be available from councils for people without a suitable form of ID.
Other measures in the Bill include protections for candidates against intimidatory or abusive behaviour, clarification of the law on “undue influence” of voters and a new digital imprints regime covering online campaign materials.
Third-party campaign groups which spend more than £10,000 will also have to register, while laws will be tightened to ensure only UK-based or otherwise eligible donors can fund election activities.
Constitution minister Chloe Smith said: “Our democracy is precious, and to continue to protect it, we need to update our laws to ensure they are fit for purpose and in line with the modern world. The Bill will strengthen the integrity of our elections, by increasing transparency, fairness and accountability; providing more protection for candidates and voters; and making our polls more inclusive.
“And crucially it will provide more protection for both candidates and voters.“Robust debate has always been a fundamental part of our democracy, and freedom of expression is part of its appeal – but a line is crossed when disagreement mutates into intimidation and abuse that shuts down free debate.”
Along with Labour, senior Conservatives and civil society groups have raised concerns about the proposals. Tory former Brexit secretary David Davis told The Independent there was “no evidence that… there is a problem with voter fraud at polling stations”.
At the last general election in 2019, 595 cases of alleged electoral fraud were investigated by police, according to the Electoral Commission.Four led to a conviction and two people were given a police caution, and the commission said: “The UK has low levels of proven electoral fraud.”
Representatives from organisations including the Electoral Reform Society, Stonewall, Liberty, Operation Black Vote and the National Union of Students have called for a rethink of the voter ID scheme. They said the plans could cost £20 million per general election and 3.5 million people currently lack photographic ID.
Shadow democracy minister Cat Smith said: “Voting is safe and secure in Britain. Ministers should be promoting confidence in our elections instead of spreading baseless scare stories which threaten our democracy – this Trumpian tactic has no place in our democracy. We’ve already seen how Conservative ministers ignore the rules, now they are trying to change the rules and rig our democracy in their favour.”