Voters face being turned away from polling stations if they do not have certain forms of photo ID – with up to 2.1 million feared to be at risk.
New rules mean people in England must show identification for the first time to vote in May’s local elections.
But the Tories have been accused of rigging the rules by refusing to accept some forms of identification.
Under the plans, an older person’s bus pass can be used but, confusingly, not a young person’s rail card.
Voter ID will also be mandatory at next year’s general election. And campaigners claim the criteria has been chosen to suppress turnout by young people more likely to vote Labour.
Surveys show 27% of voters are not aware of the new rule, prompting fears that tens of thousands could be blocked from casting their ballots.
Tom Brake, of pressure group Unlock Democracy, said: “Even one voter turned away is one too many. Now, thanks to a disastrous rollout, the integrity of our elections in May is at risk, with tens of thousands of eligible voters likely to be turned away at polling stations.”
And he warned: “This is the biggest change to elections in our country for a generation and it’s being rushed through. This is a looming fiasco.”
To help ensure everyone’s voice is heard, the Daily Mirror today launches our Get ID, Get a Vote campaign to raise awareness and encourage more people to register to vote.
Worryingly, in pilot schemes carried out in 2018 and 2019 across 15 councils, 3,000 people were turned away for not having photo ID – with 1,000 of them not returning to vote.
The Government insists people who do not have ID such as a driving licence or passport can apply online for a certificate to vote.
But with less than a month to go before the local elections in England on May 4, only 33,000 people have applied.
And MPs and peers have warned that compulsory ID plans could deny an estimated 2.1 million the right to vote.
A report by Parliament’s Joint Committee on Human Rights said: “This leaves 4% of registered voters – 2.1 million people – with the choice of applying for the voter card or losing the ability to vote at the polling station.” ºThe Government says the measures are needed to crack down on fraud.
But the Mirror revealed earlier this week that across all of the elections in 2022 – including ones for metro mayors and the Northern Ireland Assembly – police forces across the UK issued just a single caution for electoral fraud.
Dr Jess Garland, of the Electoral Reform Society, warned: “Voter ID is the biggest change to how elections work in a generation – one that puts free and fair elections at risk. Awareness of these new rules remains low, far too many voters still lack the required ID and ministers have failed to put measures in place to address this.
“The Government’s insistence on driving this policy through despite the dangers risks undermining the public’s trust in our electoral process. With just weeks to go, it’s time to think again.”
But Craig Westwood, the Electoral Commission’s director of communications, said the Government was already “encouraging” voters to get ready.
He said: “There is a range of accepted forms of ID that can be used and the free ID is available for anyone that does not have an existing one.”
'They don’t want my generation registering anger at ballot box'
By Serena Richards, 22
The Tories are not even trying to be subtle about it.
They are blatantly trying to stop my generation from having a voice.
Why else would they craft a set of rules that states an older person’s bus pass is an acceptable form of ID at a polling station but a young person’s rail card is not?
I’m not surprised they are trying to silence young people.
They have saddled us with student debt, denied us a chance to get on the housing ladder and clobbered us with high rents and taxes. The last thing they want is for us to be able to register our anger at the ballot box.
It’s clear that our vote isn’t welcome – maybe because they know we’ll want to kick them out at the first chance we get.
Perhaps they want us to give up on politics. We must not, should not. Our voices are important. We just need to make sure they are heard.
‘No evidence of fraud, so why shake it up?’
Thee Mirror asked voters in Central London their views on ID.
Retired drama teacher, Barbara Dilworth, 71, thinks the new laws are too stringent.
She said: “It’s over the top. Has there been any fraud? That’s what I would like to know.
“I need more evidence, I need them to say exactly what the fraud is, what shape it takes.
“I would be against it until there is proper evidence.”
Lecturer Harry Derbyshire, 50, asked the same question.
He said: “Is there very much voter fraud? I don’t think anyone’s noticed. It’s a bit like what they do in America where they prevent people from minorities from voting, just making it difficult for people. So I am not in favour of it.
Teacher David Thompson, 72, is in favour if ID.
But he said: “As long as it doesn’t disadvantage people who want to vote. Some form of proof of address maybe, it is a bit slack at the moment.”
Actor Jess Smith, 23, was unaware of the new ID laws but thinks they could be a barrier for some people to vote.
She said: “If you don’t have access to ID, it would definitely be a cause for concern.
“I don’t think we need more people being more restricted to vote than already are. Some people over 18 may not have a provisional licence or necessarily a passport. It’s going to make it harder, or more effort, for young people to vote. It’s probably a bad thing but probably exactly what politicians want.”
Fellow actor James Harrison, 24, added: “If you don’t have a provisional licence, it’s going to cost you £50 to vote because you have to spend £50 to get a provisional licence. Why are they making it easier for the old people and harder for the young people? That’s suspicious.”
Student Amelia Robson, 20, said: “There’s already problems with getting young people to vote anyway so it might make that gap even bigger.
Fellow student Issie Mais, 21, added: “How big is the voter fraud problem and how many people are not going to vote because of these new laws?”
Finance worker Liam Burges, 27, said: “I don’t agree with it. It would affect people from particular backgrounds that
the Tories want to stop people voting from.
“I’m not sure how big of an issue voter fraud is. It’s going to be a small percentage of people who are going to take advantage of the trust that is in the system.”
But builder Graham Marks, 62, said: “It’s fine, a good idea. I don’t see any reason why anyone shouldn’t have an ID. Everyone has access to ID. I can’t see why you wouldn’t have access to ID unless you’re trying to hide something. I can’t see why it would slow things down.”
And French student Chris Tagnon, 20, said: “I don’t think it will make it harder to vote because people usually walk around with ID.”
Make sure your voice gets heard:
- To register to vote you can either contact your local authority or register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote
- If you do not have the correct ID you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at your local council office or online at
gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate - The best way to make sure your vote counts and to avoid having to show ID at the polling station is to use your postal vote .
- To vote in this year’s local elections by postal vote, you need to make sure your postal vote arrives by 10pm on May 4 . The deadline for applying for a postal vote is April 18 .
