[Politics] Voter Identification.

[GT49er]

It still costs to get a confirmation certificate unless you know any photo booths to get a passport photo which don't charge.

Nobody should have to pay anything in order to register their vote.

From the Electoral Commission website instructions on obtaining a Voter Authority Certificate:

You will need to submit a photo with your application. The requirements for the photo are similar to the requirements for a passport photo.
If you need help taking a photo, then your local council will be able to do this for you.

The bus pass includes a photo - when you go to the council office to apply for one they take the photo there and then to put it on the card. No charge. Presumably they can do this for the VAC too.

 

[GOM]

I had a letter from my local Council last month about this.

Same here, I think it may have been a requirement. Unfortunately many people stupidly ignore letters from local councils.

 

[GrizzlingGammon]

I don’t do social media, I can honestly say I have not seen one thing about it. And I consider myself fairly switched on. I won’t be the only one that’s missed this “massive media campaign”.

The advert has been all over ITV and probably Channel 4. Seen it lots, also on catchup ads.

 

[Chicken Run]

 

[GOM]

Amazing the amount of anti-Tory bods on here blaming the government for voter ID, but hey why let the truth get in the way of bigotry. Oh and for anyone unsure look up the meaning of bigot.

It has been recommended by the Electoral Commission, (which has nothing to do with the government), since 2014 and several pilots have been run before being introduced nationally.

'Since 2014, the Electoral Commission has recommended that ID should be required in Great Britain before voters are issued with a ballot paper. In December 2015 the Commission published a report on delivering and costing (PDF) a voter ID scheme. One of its key assumptions was that photo ID would be required but also cautioned that accessibility was fundamental and any scheme should be backed up by a free voter card for those without an alternative.'

 

[beorhthelm]

Amazing the amount of anti-Tory bods on here blaming the government for voter ID. It has been recommended by the Electoral Commission, (which has nothing to do with the government), since 2014 and several pilots have been run before being introduced nationally.

'Since 2014, the Electoral Commission has recommended that ID should be required in Great Britain before voters are issued with a ballot paper. In December 2015 the Commission published a report on delivering and costing (PDF) a voter ID scheme. One of its key assumptions was that photo ID would be required but also cautioned that accessibility was fundamental and any scheme should be backed up by a free voter card for those without an alternative.'

Electoral Commission suggested it back in 2006 or so. dont know wether in cahoots with Home Office desire for a National ID, seem to be aligned though. gradually we see more people saying "why not just have a national ID", we'll get there i'm sure.

 

[GOM]

Electoral Commission suggested it back in 2006 or so. dont know wether in cahoots with Home Office desire for a National ID, seem to be aligned though. gradually we see more people saying "why not just have a national ID", we'll get there i'm sure.

The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity.

Home Page

www.electoralcommission.org.uk

 

[nicko31]

The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and ensure its integrity.

Home Page

www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Winning is not enough, until you win forever. Have we already had our last free and fair election?

The Elections Bill—which slid onto the statute book in late April—contains the most draconian electoral provisions seen in living memory. It will introduce photo ID in polling stations, which could effectively disenfranchise millions of Britons. It will also bring the Electoral Commission under a form of government control.

The Electoral Commission is now under government control. We should fear for UK democracy

John Pullinger, chair of the UK's elections regulator, is tasked with protecting the integrity of the vote. Speaking to Prospect, he identifies a grav...

www.prospectmagazine.co.uk

Bit by bit our rights are being eroded and our freedoms removed. In return for what?

 

[The Rivet]

It still costs to get a confirmation certificate unless you know any photo booths to get a passport photo which don't charge.

Nobody should have to pay anything in order to register their vote.

Well having checked they are apparently free, so please let me know if that Government info is wrong. Thks.

EDIT: Sorry just seen that being addressed. Next time I wont jump straight to a reply.

 

[The Clamp]

The advert has been all over ITV and probably Channel 4. Seen it lots, also on catchup ads.

Who watches ads these days? Either way, it’s not about their advertising / propaganda campaign. It’s about the manipulation of our democratic processes by a corrupt government.

We are handing over control of our democratic rights to a party that solely has its own interests at heart. The Tory party cannot be trusted to follow their own laws, let alone be in charge of changes to our democratic process.

 

[rogersix]

If it puts off labour and green voters im all for it need to keep a conservative government going

early bid for, "post of the year"

 

[Greenbag50]

Obvious when you have a brain.

You think??

 

[Zeberdi]

Amazing the amount of anti-Tory bods on here blaming the government for voter ID, but hey why let the truth get in the way of bigotry. Oh and for anyone unsure look up the meaning of bigot.

It has been recommended by the Electoral Commission, (which has nothing to do with the government), since 2014 and several pilots have been run before being introduced nationally.

Of course this Tory Government are to ‘blame‘ for Voter ID, they are the ones introducing it.

The Electoral Commission is independent (at the moment) but it is not their role to introduce wide sweeping changes to voting requirements in this Country which require legislative instruments (they are advisory (to Government and public) and a watchdog to ensure the integrity of the electoral system as it currently operates and ensure the legitimacy of the political financing of elections- in fact, in relation to this Tory Government’s electoral reforms, they have warned that “ 9 3.5 million people (7.5% of the electorate) in Great Britain do not have access to any form of photo ID. 11 million electors (24% of the electorate) do not have access to a passport or photographic driving licence” and they also have concerns about some of the measures relating to reform of the Commission that were introduced by the Electoral Reform Act 2022.

Have no doubt about it, these reforms (and the proposals) were introduced by a Tory Gvt and the Tory‘s Electoral Reform Bill (against the recomendations of numerous civil liberty/social support groups including the Electoral Reform Society, Age Concern, Stonewall, the Labour Party and Liberty).

It’s disingenuous IMO to dismiss people who have expressed concerns about these sweeping changes to the way we vote (and to the Electoral Commission itself) as being ‘ant-tory bods’. The Electoral Commission has indeed reported on various Pilot schemes over the years but the ones that led to the Electoral Reform Bill were Government pilots not ones that the Electoral Commission reported on.

The Electoral Reform Bill (including voter ID) was introduced as a result of a Tory Government commissioned Report by Eric Pickles MP - that included recommendations from various groups and organisations

A democracy that works for everyone: a clear and secure democracy

This publication provides the government's response to Sir Eric Pickles' review of electoral fraud.

www.gov.uk

Sources for all the above

‘Unprecedented’ coalition of charities and civil society demand rethink on ‘dangerous’ voter ID trials

Over 40 leading charities and academics call on the government to urgently reconsider the decision to run pilot mandatory voter ID at the local elections in May.

www.electoral-reform.org.uk

Electoral Commission statement on the UK Government’s Elections Bill receiving Royal Assent

www.electoralcommission.org.uk

Voter identification pilots

Find out about the voter identification pilots that took place in 2018 and 2019

www.electoralcommission.org.uk

“But hey, why let the truth get in the way of bigotry”

PS. The Electoral Commission is only independent as regards its deliberations, investigations and decisions - it is still a Statutory Body which requires authorisation from the government to exist - the government can change at any time how it works or curtail it’s freedom - which this Tory Government has.

PPS Did I mention the Tory Government?

 

[beorhthelm]

...
It’s disingenuous IMO to dismiss people who have expressed concerns about these sweeping changes to the way we vote (and to the Electoral Commission itself) as being ‘ant-tory bods’. The Electoral Commission has indeed reported on various Pilot schemes over the years but the ones that led to the Electoral Reform Bill were Government pilots not ones that the Electoral Commission reported on.

this overlooks the changes to the legislation as passed. seems that has taken in to account concerns, with a raft of forms of ID accepted, not in the orginal proposed drafts.

 

[Wokeworrier]

Serious question and sorry if its already been answered but how many European countries insist on voter ID?

 

[Zeberdi]

this overlooks the changes to the legislation as passed. seems that has taken in to account concerns, with a raft of forms of ID accepted, not in the orginal proposed drafts.

fair enough but Photo ID reforms are here and that’s what some people are arguing against - the whole point of my post is that the reforms were introduced by and brought in by a Tory Government not by the Electoral Commission as stated above and personally I object to people’s genuine concerns being dismissed as ‘bigotry’ or accused of being ‘anti-tory bods’ for voicing them - minor amendments about specific examples of qualifying photo IDs is a distraction from that basic fact tbh.

 

[GOM]

Serious question and sorry if its already been answered but how many European countries insist on voter ID?

As of 2021.

Most European nations require identification to vote. A 2021 Crime Prevention Research Center study found that 46 out of 47 European countries require voters to provide some form of identification to vote — the United Kingdom was the lone exception
Similarly, government-issued photo IDs are required to vote by 33 nations in the 37-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (which has considerable European overlap). Only the UK, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia currently do not require IDs.

 

[GOM]

...duplicate

 

[nicko31]

Just 2 weeks to go till the registration deadline for voter ID.

Very little publicity, shameful

 

[Shooting Star]

As of 2021.

Most European nations require identification to vote. A 2021 Crime Prevention Research Center study found that 46 out of 47 European countries require voters to provide some form of identification to vote — the United Kingdom was the lone exception
Similarly, government-issued photo IDs are required to vote by 33 nations in the 37-member Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (which has considerable European overlap). Only the UK, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia currently do not require IDs.

Will love to see the pro-EU, anti-Conservatives jump through hoops to squirm out of this truth.