[Politics] Voter Identification.

[crookie]

Anyone used a photo of their ID on their phone ? Just passed the polling station taking the dog to the park. Only got my phone with me, have a picture of my driving license on it

 

[El Presidente]

I don't like the idea of voter fraud, I don't like the idea of people being unable to take their democratic right to vote either.

The new legislation has only addressed one of these issues. The reason why is political, not defending democratic principles.

 

[heathgate]

Blimey - you are a man for bold claims.

"Nobody ever did it". In hundreds of millions of votes cast in this country before voter ID was in place, you are saying that absolutely no-one has ever cast a vote for someone else. I would be amazed if that were true.

The 'fraud'... is this....activist groups gathering together lists of citizens in their communities who have no intention of voting, whether through apathy, inducement or simply unable to attend... Said activists then vote on their ticket,.... no complaints, no identified fraud.... perfect crime.

 

[beorhthelm]

Rubbish. The reason many don't vote is because of the quality of candidates and the inter-party tribadism. I voted for two Tories because they have proven themselves - the rest I was presented with were three lying Labour ****s, one Independent nutter, three Green idiots, one Tory liar and one Reform UK dick. If there had been a Partridge in a Pear Tree I might have used my third vote.

apathy and lack of engagement from the politicans is a far larger issue for voter turnout than needing an ID.
who is this group that know there is an election, know local candidates and some policies and not know about ID? a tiny tiny number. probably about the same as fraudulent votes.

 

[dsr-burnley]

Voter fraud is done by post. There is a lot of that, though the powers that be are scarcely bothered about checking it. It's a pet bugbear of mine - by making postal votes easy, they have abolished the secret ballot. The secret ballot was designed to stop husbands/wives, landlords, employers from forcing someone to vote a particular way; the postal vote opens the door for that again.

I dare say that's still uncommon. What is more common is the harvesting of postal votes by candidates or their friends who collect the paperwork, fill it in, and get the voter to sign the paper. It is made too easy.

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

The 'fraud'... is this....activist groups gathering together lists of citizens in their communities who have no intention of voting, whether through apathy, inducement or simply unable to attend... Said activists then vote on their ticket,.... no complaints, no identified fraud.... perfect crime.

Right. How do they know they have no intention of voting? What's to stop them changing their mind? Lots of people say they won't vote but do?

If what you're suggesting has actually happened, how could there not be one upheld allegation of fraud at the last council election, as per the image recently posted.

I put it to you, that you just made that story about activists up with absolutely nothing to back it up

 

[One Teddy Maybank]

I've just been and the process was far longer than it normally took. Fine for a council election with a low turnout but would be a lot worse at a GE with a big turnout. There are often longer queues in the evenings to get a vote in before polls close and many people doing that will be people who have had to work or care for someone all day. And guess who they will be more likely to vote for.....

Different in different areas.
I’ve worked all day as well…..

 

[Kuipers Supporters Club]

I just wonder what those against it think when it works so well in Sweden and Norway, ranked highest amongst the best democracies in the world.

Or The Netherlands, or Italy or Greece or Finland. The latter being one of the most respected democracies ever

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Photo ID for older people is accepted even if expired, if this did happen (her feed postings suggests it might not have) that's on the polling station not on asking for ID to vote.

 

[Postman Pat]

Does anyone have details on how, when and why polling station staff did previously undertake some sort of validation to satisfy themselves that voter fraud wasn't happening? Maybe 1-in-X voters were subject to extra scrutiny? If so, what was X?

Edit: I didn't say it was a widespread issue. I didn't even say it was an issue. I'm talking theoretical hypotheticals above and beyond elections: Simply f something isn't tested for then it can't be known whether it exists or not.

In other news: I've just been to visit my mum quickly. As I drove by my polling station, I thought I may as well quickly stop and vote as I don't have much time today given this evening's game.

I parked up, got out the car and started towards the polling station before I realised that I didn't have any ID on me. I only take my phone everywhere these days - I'm not sure when I last left the house with my wallet. I slinked back to my car a defeated man.

I didn't say that you had said it was a widespread issue, just that if it were we would surely have some reports of people turning up to vote and their ballot already cast.

I don't recall any evidence of that, and if there was I'm sure it would have been used as a reason to bring this in.

I don't believe until now election officers have had any 'power' to ask if someone is who they say they are.

 

[Chicken Run]

Blimey - you are a man for bold claims.

"Nobody ever did it". In hundreds of millions of votes cast in this country before voter ID was in place, you are saying that absolutely no-one has ever cast a vote for someone else. I would be amazed if that were true.

This

 

[Chicken Run]

Photo ID for older people is accepted even if expired, if this did happen (her feed postings suggests it might not have) that's on the polling station not on asking for ID to vote.

But Im continually told that all the blue rinse brigade were likely to vote Tory? If they haven’t got ID this will affect the Tory vote right….

 

[Nobby Cybergoat]

I just wonder what those against it think when it works so well in Sweden and Norway, ranked highest amongst the best democracies in the world.

I just wonder if those who genuinely think that the Conservative Party introduced this measure to strengthen our democracy would like to proceed to the Nobby Cybergoat emporium of magic beans in Hove, (no photo ID needed, but bring all your cash)

This is a measure introduced by a government in so in admiration of the US Republican Party, it's copying their methods. It's a government so mired in sleaze, scandal and dishonesty, how can anyone truly believe it has honourable intentions when it makes changes to the voting system?

It's a government, miles behind in the polls, introducing a desperate poll rigging measure, probably less to achieve results, but more a kite flying exercise to see if it will get away with more draconian adherence to the Republican playbook in future attempts.

Question, if you believe them? Why did it not stand on this issue at the last election if it was that concerned? Why the distinction between ID requirements for old and young?

 

[Foul Play Rocks]

Anyone used a photo of their ID on their phone ? Just passed the polling station taking the dog to the park. Only got my phone with me, have a picture of my driving license on it

I was turned away from voting as I didn’t have the original license. I tried arguing the point that’s a digital version rather than a photocopy or something but they were having none of it. Hopefully you’ll have better luck at your polling station.

 

[crookie]

I was turned away from voting as I didn’t have the original license. I tried arguing the point that’s a digital version rather than a photocopy or something but they were having none of it. Hopefully you’ll have better luck at your polling station.

No, only the original so I gave up. Bit annoying. The worst ballache is there is a polling station at the top of my cul-de-sac in a scout hut. My polling station is a mile away. So not easy to pop back down. Work that logic out. That's more of a disincentive to vote than having to bring ID

 

[beorhthelm]

Question, if you believe them? Why did it not stand on this issue at the last election if it was that concerned? Why the distinction between ID requirements for old and young?

questions we know the answer to! first, its pushed from inside the Home Office, not Conservative head office, so wouldnt be in a manifesto. second, older people tend to have bus passes, younger tend to have ID to prove 18. it might make not sense to you or I to leave out non-age specific young persons rail and bus passes, but thats what was submitted to consultation.

 

[WATFORD zero]

I have no particular view about having ID to vote in order to resolve the issue of 'voter fraud', regardless of the complete absence of any evidence of such, despite over 30M voting in the last GE alone. But, as others have suggested, maybe it is massive and the evidence of a person coming to vote to find out they had already 'voted' has simply never been found amongst those 30M votes

But what I do wonder is why would the rules differ between various age groups and why will there be no ID rules relating to postal votes ? Given 3.5 years of daily evidence of this cabal's incompetence, dishonesty, avarice and various other duplicitous actions, I'm sure there's a very good reason why the rules have been written this way, because this once, they would have done it for honest, honourable reasons, it's that we simply haven't been told

 

[nicko31]

Does anyone have details on how, when and why polling station staff did previously undertake some sort of validation to satisfy themselves that voter fraud wasn't happening? Maybe 1-in-X voters were subject to extra scrutiny? If so, what was X?

Edit: I didn't say it was a widespread issue. I didn't even say it was an issue. I'm talking theoretical hypotheticals above and beyond elections: Simply f something isn't tested for then it can't be known whether it exists or not.

In other news: I've just been to visit my mum quickly. As I drove by my polling station, I thought I may as well quickly stop and vote as I don't have much time today given this evening's game.

I parked up, got out the car and started towards the polling station before I realised that I didn't have any ID on me. I only take my phone everywhere these days - I'm not sure when I last left the house with my wallet. I slinked back to my car a defeated man.

THIS

I lot of people just don't carry photo ID around, even if you drive a lot people don't carry a licence because you don't need to.

I carry a phone with 2 cards to keep it light. Many don't even do that, just phone plus Apple pay or similar.

 

[GT49er]

We were never in favour of ID cards in this country - we had then through the war, but ditched them soon after. Regardless of political persuasion, the British psyche just didn't like ID cards - and governments (f both sides) wisely recognised that trying to introduce compuksory ID cards would make the Poll Tax look like a jolly popular idea, so they didn't do it.
The only photo ID most people had (unless they had a security tag because of where they worked) was a passport - and so many people don't have passports so it wasn't practical for, say, the Albion or the bamks to demand photo ID. Then they introduced photo driving bicence - and whether by accident or design, a huge majority of the adult population now had photo ID - and boy, weren't businesses quick to spot this way of gathering customer information. They now excuse it by saying it's to prevent money laundering!
Though just how scraapping my car which I've had for several years but has now failed its MOT is money laundering I fail to see - but I still had to hand over my driving licience to be photojraphed on the scrapper's mobile before he'd take ot away!

 

[WATFORD zero]

questions we know the answer to! first, its pushed from inside the Home Office, not Conservative head office, so wouldnt be in a manifesto. second, older people tend to have bus passes, younger tend to have ID to prove 18. it might make not sense to you or I to leave out non-age specific young persons rail and bus passes, but thats what was submitted to consultation.

If you believe that it was introduced to stop voter fraud, then you are correct, it would make absolutely no sense whatsoever