To be shocked by plan to disenfranchise the poor.

[Fab39ish]

Just seen a report on my facebook feed which suggests that the Government want to make it compulsory to provide photo ID to vote.
What happens to people who don't drive or have a passport?
Is there a national cheap photo ID card you can buy. But even so if you are poor maybe you won't be able to afford that?

And yes, it's a cynical ploy based on a complete non-problem. But it sounds good and very spinnable for the papers.

Goodness me, the roses are out in the 'burbs. Come to Tower Hamlets, or Bradford, or anywhere else where electoral corruption is culturally acceptable and then report back your findings.

Well it has been interpreted as photo ID by electoral reform society and you would think they have been involved in discussions etc.

Agree a free National ID card would be great.

It happens in Northern Ireland. It seems likely that the same route would be taken here.

It's patronising to assume poor people won't have ID if a free card is available.

The issue of fraudulent postal voting remains though!

Cross post!

I pay about €16 for my ID card in belgium, and it lasts for 5 years. Shouldn't be beyond the wit of the UK govt to arrange similar surely?

I think we should all have ID. I think the ID was a fabulous idea and I am disappointed it was scrapped. If we all had ID it would cut down massively on crime and fraud

Not the experience in countries that do have it, by the way.

Well, since the manifesto pledge is "a form of ID" then surely that means it's not necessarily photo id?

I don't think it's a bad idea, and I think they will likely have some form of free ID like in Northern Ireland, if they go for photo ID.

I think it's a great idea & long overdue. Would've sorted out the dodgy Tower hamlets issue.

The tories' ultimate goal is the death of the poor, so not sure what's surprising.

O well I guess we will have to wait and see what version there form of ID will be.

The tories' ultimate goal is the death of the poor

FFS don't be fucking ridiculous. I'm not a Conservative voter but that sort of hyperbole really does my head in.

Derby city council voted no to being one of the trial cities for this. In the paperwork I saw there was an alternative for those without photo ID but it was like handing over a bank card with matching bank statement -- aren't we always told to avoid doing things like that?

For US, the voter ID requirements hit some areas hard even when the US has non-driver state IDs which the UK does not have an equivalent of (some Republicans have been quoted bragging shutting down places to get them to make it harder for certain populations) nor in the US is it required to have someone 'suitable' sign the photo or forms which I think is a rather outdated requirement here. There are currently a lot of barriers to getting photo ID that most other countries don't have so the comparisons don't work.

More accessible ID is really needed well beyond whether it should be used for voting.

Maybe it's time for free ID cards all round.

It'd be nice to,pretend that electoral fraud isn't an issue at all, though I imagine it's more prevalent with postal votes on demand.

I always find it odd that I don't even have to take my polling card when going to vote. I just have to give name and address, no ID at all. Still, I'd rather have our system any day than that in many countries, where you have armed police at polling stations, and intimidation into voting the 'right' way.

Maybe it's time for free ID cards all round.

Nothing in life is "free". Someone has to pay.

Agree it is totally ID cards by the back door. What was the Tory view when New Lab tried to introduce ID cards (not for voting) a few years back?

No costing from Tories again?

I don't mind the idea of identity cards at all, so long as they're free, and as pp have said it's so easy to commit electoral fraud in this country. A friend of mine committed it, technically, once, many years ago as a student. Although they'd updated the electoral roll using the form sent to their student flat in good time, when the cards came their one was still addressed to a previous resident. They were in touch with him, and he confirmed he'd got one at his new address, so my friend just used the one he'd got. Yes, it was illegal, but he didn't know what else to do and as he viewed it each of them were still voting once, so at the end of the day it didn't really matter.

Yes, it would ultimately cost the taxpayer, Lurking, but presumably you know what I meant. At least those on very low incomes would not be prevented from voting by the cost of acquiring one.

I worked as a poll clerk one election and went to a training event where we were taught about fraud. The person delivering the training said that electoral fraud where someone turns up in person at the polling station and pretends to be someone else is incredibly rare - if you're determined to commit fraud you'd go down the postal route.

Poll clerks cross names off the electoral register as people arrive to vote and write the number of the card the person is given against their number. If later someone else arrives claiming to be Sue Smith from 28 High Street then in theory the duplicate votes could be traced. But this isn't an issue at all really.

Photo ID for polling stations would close a loophole, but personally I think postal voting is much more open to abuse.

What is wrong with being asked to provide photo ID provided that it is free for those without a passport, driving license etc? Rather that than electoral fraud and dodgy postal votes. ID should be mandatory for those claiming benefits too. What is the problem?

I don't have any photo ID. I don't drive, I can't afford to go abroad, I can't even afford the passport because I can't afford it.

It seems logical to me that if they bring in an ID requirement it would need to have a photograph. Anyone can turn up with a fraudulently aquired council tax bill or bank statement. Non photo ID any reduce the risk and unless they do free photo ID cards which they won't, I wouldn't be able to vote.

I wish wish wish we had a free ID card! My ds2 will never be able to drive, and had to obtain a 'citizenship' card to take to uni. He has a passport but didn't want to take that round the pubs/clubs and bars. Unfortunately, even though it is issued by the government, and should be accepted as such, it more often that not, isn't.

It's a pain.

LurkingHusband Not the experience in countries that do have it, by the way. A Belgian police woman to whom I was talking one day was aghast that we didn't have ID cards in the UK. She wondered how we 'controlled' people.

All the reports say they have no plans to issue a free ID card to vote. My only hope is that they wil accept other ID. Although even the bank card and statements would be a challenge for many as they may only have building society accounts.