Changes in voting at polling stations (5 minute read)

 Hi Swantv Viewer

Watch out! Big changes coming with voting. You will need photo ID when you vote at your local polling station and the local elections are in May so be prepared. We all have a right to vote here in Wales and every one of us should go to the polling station and tick the boxes of the candidates you support. If you don't vote you don't really have the right to complain if the government bring in laws that we disagree with. If you vote for candidates that are not elected then you can complain because you took action. 

Showing ID to vote may be overkill. In the Uk there were 595 cases of fraud reported by the Electoral Commision. All these were investigated and only 6 were proven to be fraudulent. Matt Hancock said that this was 6 too many cases and everything should be done to reduce this. But the additional cost of preventing any fraud must surely be totally excessive.   

ID trials took place in both May 2018 and May 2019, which required voters to present personal identification when visiting the polling station - fifteen English local authorities took part over the two trials. The government said that pilot schemes would help to see what the impact would be for voters and electoral administrators, and would help them to decide how to design a scheme that could be used for UK Parliament elections and local elections in England.      

 Compared with allegations and verified cases of personation, the number of people turned away in both pilot years is material. The 2018 voter ID pilots saw more than 1,000 voters being turned away for not having the correct form of ID. Of these, around 350 voters did not return to vote. In 2019, round 2,000 people were initially refused a ballot paper, of whom roughly 750 did not return with ID and therefore did not take part in the election. In total, across both sets of pilots, over 1,000 voters did not return to vote after being refused a ballot because they did not have ID.

One of the key pieces of evidence used to support the need for the government’s voter ID pilots was discredited by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in the run-up to the 2018 vote. The government claimed that in-person voter fraud more than doubled between 2014 and 2016. While the statistic is technically accurate – there was a rise from 21 cases in 2014 to 44 in 2016 – the Cabinet Office failed to mention that the number of cases then fell by more than a third in 2017, to 28. There was a 0.01% prosecuted fraud on election voting in the last elections. Is this enough to change the law?? Hardly worth thinking about, and certainly not worth the expenses involved across the UK.

It was discovered that MPs may have been misled to believe that the evidence showed no disproportionate impact on any particular demographic group. The Electoral Commission has since admitted it that in fact, it had no way of measuring the effect of voter ID on minority ethnic communities’ votes. Having to present your ID may have an impact on anyone who does not drive or have a passport or hold one of the other acceptable credentials. Is this a way to tip the poll reslts in favour of the Conservative party as the largest groups without acceptable ID are presumed to be labour supporters.

I understand the country has been in turmoil with changes of prime ministers and cabinet members. I know that the cost of living has escalated dramatically and many are having to choose between eating and heating. And the current strike position is terrible. But I hope that the country will settle down, and that we can regain the prestige and position we had in world affairs. We need a government that can lead us to a better place where no-one goes hungry, all children have a bed of their own, wages are sufficient to give everyone a good standard of living, and we never need a food bank again. 

It would be good if all parties laid out an easy to understand manifesto that they do actually stick to, if elected. Election promises have been like the water in a boiling kettle, loud attention bubbles simmering away but turning to steam and vanishing into thin air. We need a party that acts fairly, encouraging free enterprise and entrepreneurs but stopping the legal tax evasion loopholes, ensuring that workers are paid at least a good living wage, that older people, disabled people and marginalised people are offered the best support and treated with the respect they deserve. Illegal immigrants should be processed fast and fairly, and either returned to the country they left or integrated into our society. Those who have a place of responsibility like House of Lords peers and members of parliament should be immediately prosecuted if found to have acted unlawfully, together with anyone who has acted fraudulently and taken public money such as through false furloughing schemes. The pandemic has caused so many changes in our society and it is time to try and wind the clock back a couple of years.

Our democracy is underpinned by free and fair elections and this government has committed to securing the integrity of thoseelections for the future. At the heart of an election is the simple action of a voter casting their ballot. Now the government has decided that there are potential vulnerabilities in our current system. That is why the government will be updating outdated security protections around identity at the polls and  introducing a requirement for voters to prove their identity at the polling station.

If you don't have a driving licence or passport do not worry. There are several other options or you can apply for an Electoral Identity Document, called a free Voter Card, issued by local authorities. free of charge from the beginning of January 2023. Other options include the Blue Badge for disabled people, European Economic Area (EEA) issued national identity cards, biometric immigration documents,  and Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) cards. Other options may be available later.

The information on the Voter Card will be kept to a minimum – it will show the elector’s name and photograph, the local authority that issued the card, and a card number. This is the essential information required for the voting process, and in taking this approach we have deliberately sought to ensure inclusivity (though more information, such as the elector’s address and date of birth, will necessarily be required to apply for and receive a card).

The elector’s date of birth has been intentionally excluded for Great Britain. The government does not intend for this card to be used for demonstrating proof of age. This is consistent with the fact we have always been clear that this policy will not introduce a national identity card by the back door; the Voter Card is solely for the purpose of supporting the democratic process.

Photocopies will not be accepted as they can be altered. Not all work or student cards will be accepted, neither Railcards. So check this out. We should all vote so check this out. Will you have the correct identification? If not sort it with your local authority. Remember! If you don't vote you can't complain when you disagree with the government and your local authority.

 regards

Mike Leahy Swantv           All comments are the views of the writer. Comments

appreciated.