Do you have official photo ID?

[Nightbear]

Driving license or passport?

The government are planning legislation that will mean you have to have valid photo ID to be able to vote. It’s virtually unknown in the U.K. for someone to turn up and vote in someone else’s name but there are plenty of people in the U.K. who have the right to vote but don’t have photo ID. This would take the vote from thousands to address a practically nonexistent issue. The cost of getting photo ID would mean the U.K. would be effectively charging people for the right to vote.

www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/feb/28/using-photo-id-in-british-elections-will-harm-democracy-say-us-civil-rights-groups

@Whyistheteacold

A provisional driving license costs around £30 and is valid for 10 years. It's absolutely shocking the amount of adults who don't have any valid photo ID (I work in an industry where this is required from customers to be able to do business with us). A lot of customers don't even understand why their out of date passports or driving licences with old addresses can't be accepted. They send in some absolute tat thinking it will pass as ID!

I believe that if you're not allowed to drive you can't get a driving licence, not even a provisional one. So that form of ID isn't available to everyone.

I hate English politics more and more every day

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Passport and driving license.

Lots of people wouldn't though. There should be a free/cheap ID card available for everyone. Having lived in another country where they were compulsory, it didn't really effect daily life. Only time we ever had to show them was when giving a witness statement after we saw a car accident. Lots of people carry work ID. Its easier than carrying a passport everywhere

Even then you have the co-sign issue.

Many people (especially carers, SAHPs, unemployed and more especially the working classes in those categories) don’t know a suitable professional to conform their identity.

GPs don’t do it any more. Usually teachers are told not to. So that leaves a lot of people stuck.

Facts: 3.5 MILLION don't have photo ID.

That's a lot of people who will lose their vote.

www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/upgrading-our-democracy/voter-id/

The counter-signatory issue for photo ID is really significant, a as pp points out ^^.

As is fifteen quid.

To put it into context, the annual Xmas bonus for severely disabled people on PIP is ten pounds.

“Counter signatory” is the term I was groping for but couldn’t find @TheLaughingGenome - Thanks, my brain was itching!

Yes but I thought they had already dropped this idea a while ago?

I have both a driving licence and a passport but was unaware of the proposed legislation. I'm not sure if this requirement already exists in Northern Ireland in any case.

Though I suspect the motives for this by the government are not altruism or stopping fraud, just trying to make it more difficult to vote for the other parties. Young people are certainly less likely to have a driving licence.

I have both. But for years l couldn't afford it so just used an expired passport which most people accepted.

This is an issue that will also affect elderly people who no longer drive and don't have a passport anymore. I work for a financial institution and as the anti-money laundering officer I will accept bus passes that have a date of birth as well as a photo or a letter from a third party such as a solicitor, priest, accountant etc. For those still in school I accept letters from the principal.

Getting documents signed though, as mentioned above, is tricky. I will sign passports as long as the person is a customer for at least two years. Some will charge for this but ours is a rural poor community so I choose not to.

No - is the answer here, passport expired as I haven't been able to travel for several years, plus I was working when I last got one, no driving licence as no car as not driving currently either

I'm lucky, I could AFFORD to replace either the difficulty I face is in being housebound I can't access signatories or post things

@Whyistheteacold wow privileged much!

There are literally millions of people in the Uk couldn't afford £15 or more to meet this potential requirement meaning (as I am sure is the intent! Which is Fucking disgusting!) that it's the poorest and most vulnerable who WON'T be able to vote!

Personally I think online voting should be facilitated it's ridiculous it still hasn't been in this day and age and would enfranchise many, especially if polling stations provided internet access to those without like street homeless, but as per pps comments no way the tories would support ANY move to increase true democracy and give the poorest and most vulnerable (who are generally less likely to vote Tory) More opportunity to vote.

The dice are loaded!

Do people REALLY think a nationalised ID card system wouldn't cost anything? Under a Tory govt?

@ChameleonClara I suspect that's tip of the iceberg and the real number is much higher

@ZestyDragon

This is an issue that will also affect elderly people who no longer drive and don't have a passport anymore. I work for a financial institution and as the anti-money laundering officer I will accept bus passes that have a date of birth as well as a photo or a letter from a third party such as a solicitor, priest, accountant etc. For those still in school I accept letters from the principal.

Getting documents signed though, as mentioned above, is tricky. I will sign passports as long as the person is a customer for at least two years. Some will charge for this but ours is a rural poor community so I choose not to.

I am sure a work around will be found for pensioners given almost seven out of every ten voters aged 70+ vote conservative ... It will be very important to esnure that only people under forty, from ethnic minorities or in lower socio-economic groups are affected to ensure the policy has the desired effect

@Graphista

No - is the answer here, passport expired as I haven't been able to travel for several years, plus I was working when I last got one, no driving licence as no car as not driving currently either

I'm lucky, I could AFFORD to replace either the difficulty I face is in being housebound I can't access signatories or post things

@Whyistheteacold wow privileged much!

There are literally millions of people in the Uk couldn't afford £15 or more to meet this potential requirement meaning (as I am sure is the intent! Which is Fucking disgusting!) that it's the poorest and most vulnerable who WON'T be able to vote!

Personally I think online voting should be facilitated it's ridiculous it still hasn't been in this day and age and would enfranchise many, especially if polling stations provided internet access to those without like street homeless, but as per pps comments no way the tories would support ANY move to increase true democracy and give the poorest and most vulnerable (who are generally less likely to vote Tory) More opportunity to vote.

The dice are loaded!

Do people REALLY think a nationalised ID card system wouldn't cost anything? Under a Tory govt?

@ChameleonClara I suspect that's tip of the iceberg and the real number is much higher

Presumably postal votes would have to be dealt with differently though?

Maybe by electronic ID confirmation rather than photo ID?

So that might be a small chunk of hope?

Just guessing here.

@RickiTarr who knows. I know even postal voting was difficult for me, I ended up (thanks to advice from an mn poster) last election contacting the party I was voting for and one of their volunteers kindly came to collect my "postal vote" from me at home as I can't get out to post it. I don't have anyone I can ask to do this as the only people who would be willing to help me in such an event are unable to get to me.

I'm sure I'm not the only voter, especially of disabled voters, who already meets barriers to voting. And of course the poor, sick and disabled are less likely to vote Tory generally speaking.

Pisses me off!

Even if registering an electronic vote say a month ahead of time to allow time to verify would be something.

Really should be possible these days

[quote Graphista]@RickiTarr who knows. I know even postal voting was difficult for me, I ended up (thanks to advice from an mn poster) last election contacting the party I was voting for and one of their volunteers kindly came to collect my "postal vote" from me at home as I can't get out to post it. I don't have anyone I can ask to do this as the only people who would be willing to help me in such an event are unable to get to me.

I'm sure I'm not the only voter, especially of disabled voters, who already meets barriers to voting. And of course the poor, sick and disabled are less likely to vote Tory generally speaking.

Pisses me off!

Even if registering an electronic vote say a month ahead of time to allow time to verify would be something.

Really should be possible these days

[/quote]
Yes it’s complicated.

I’m the only one in this house with any kind of mobility issue yet I’m now only one registered to vote in person (DH and YA DC vote by post). You’ve given me a nudge to sort that out.

About time they did this and yes, I do have photo ID. They say it’s ‘virtually unheard of’. I’m sure that’s probably true but it’s only based on the people who they’ve actually caught. There will be plenty of people who have got away with voting illegally and no one has ever known about it. This is social responsibility and if you don’t have the money to pay for photo ID then that’s not great but a 10 year passport isn’t that much, maybe save up? We need the elections to be as transparent as possible and only eligible people to vote.

@Whyistheteacold

A provisional driving license costs around £30 and is valid for 10 years. It's absolutely shocking the amount of adults who don't have any valid photo ID (I work in an industry where this is required from customers to be able to do business with us). A lot of customers don't even understand why their out of date passports or driving licences with old addresses can't be accepted. They send in some absolute tat thinking it will pass as ID!

Indeed they do send it tat. A new client once brought in a library card thinking it would be suitable as proof of ID!

Photo ID doesn't necessarily just mean a passport or photo driving licence. I don't think there's yet an official list of what's acceptable. Many people will have something else, such as a Uni/College student ID card, OAP bus pass, disabled blue badge, all issued by "official" bodies so would probably be acceptable.

If they do this they would have to introduce some sort of ID card. I wish they would do this anyway, because trying yo sort things like DBS checks ate a nightmare without photo ID (which I don't have!)

@HazeyJaneII

If they do this they would have to introduce some sort of ID card. I wish they would do this anyway, because trying yo sort things like DBS checks ate a nightmare without photo ID (which I don't have!)

No need for yet another new card. Passports and driving licences databases are already linked. There's a citizen card that can be applied for www.citizencard.com/apply-for-a-uk-id-card-online as an alternative. Or there's OAP bus passes, student ID cards, railway season tickets, car blue badges. I think there are enough "official" forms of photo ID available.

Both. I don't go abroad but I keep my passport valid.

I don't agree on having photo ID for voting though.

I believe the citizen card is not a valid form of ID for a DBS check

I have none of the other things on your list (and only passport and drivers licence is valid for DBS) and this is true of many people I know.

some people have never had a passport, and cannot drive, and could not apply for provisional due to excluding health conditions.
also i read recently that a provisional licence will not be accepted for some official purposes, inc i think voting registration.
it really is quite a problem for some people.
like with the windrush scandal, the people that make the rules cannot imagine how some people live, and do not bother to find out.
they assume everyone has a passport.
what is a citizen card.

@HazeyJaneII

I believe the citizen card is not a valid form of ID for a DBS check

I have none of the other things on your list (and only passport and drivers licence is valid for DBS) and this is true of many people I know.

It doesn’t need to be photographic for DBS. Your birth or adoption certificate is accepted as your Group 1 document if you don’t have a passport or driving licence.

No I don't have either. I am no longer able to travel (disability) and have never driven. I let my passport lapse years ago, I guess I'll need to try to get another, Getting a co-signatory will be challenging.