Disenfranchised older voters

[overtaxedunderling]

Just had an elderly relative raise concerns.

Apparently the law changed last year and in all future elections, photo ID will be required for an elector to vote in person. Postal voters will be able to carry on as before. Those with no photo ID can apply for a certificate online.

Am I wrong to think that the group of individuals who tend to value their vote the most are at greatest risk of losing their ability to vote?

a) YABU - it's the 21st century and those in their 80s and above need to get with it.

b) YANBU - the convenience of those running public services should not adversely impact those entitled to use them.

If you're over a certain age you've probably got a bus pass with a photo ID. Would that not suffice?

It's unlikely MN will care about this issue as very little sympathy is shown here for older people TBH

Perhaps start a petition or something similar?

It's on the list - but outside of cities, many places have little or no bus services.

I think student ID doesn't count as ID, so poorer younger people will find it more difficult to vote?

Come on, OP. This is just yet another thread about how scandalous it is that people who wish to have a part in the elected government, the government which raises and distributes taxes and legislates for the laws which govern civil society should be prepared to identify themselves . (Or is it that you prefer people who are not actually citizens to dictate these matters? ).

’ Elderly’ relatives could easily obtain a voting registration under the legislation, if they don’t have any photo id. Or they could register for a postal vote. gosh, you could even help them……

This move was brought in to make it more difficult for poor people to vote, that a few elderly people will be caught up is of no consequence to the tories.

They've obviously worked out that non-tory voters are more likely to fall foul of the rules than tory voters otherwise they'd never have implemented the changes.

It’s a dreadful, dreadful policy.

Older people are among the least impacted - as PP says bus passes and relevant rail cards can be used. Other groups, particularly the youngest voters and some ethnic groups, are going to be very hard hit.

I just raised it because a lot of us see less of our older relatives than we might like and those who are more digitally native might be able to help avoid voters being turned away at the polling station.

Are they also disenfranchised from collecting a parcel from the post office for example?

This is a none issue being spun for political gain to try and portray the Conservatives as trying to 'fix' the vote.

Its also worth noting that photographic voter IDs will be provided for those who want them at no cost.

I think it is a good idea that ID should be shown at polling stations. If anyone is concerned about getting ID then it is very easy to apply for a postal vote.

I have a postal vote due to being away once for a General Election, it is so convenient as in the comfort of my own home I google all the candidates and have a think about who receives my cross.

I thought some folks had concerns over postal voting being too prevalent - it looks like it will be growing significantly.

Most people got online around 1998/9, certainly by the early 2000s. That's a good 20 years for people to get used to the internet.

Ironically, I thought the Conservatives might suffer the most - don't they rely on the older vote?

I flew to Edinburgh yesterday. On arrival at my departure airport I realised I had no photo id on me. I have no bus pass, my driving licence is a paper one, the only photo ID I have since I retired is my passport which I had left at home since I didn’t think I would need it for a domestic flight. Fortunately when we looked at the booking confirmation it said photo ID only required if you are checking luggage and I had hand luggage only. I keep meaning to apply for a buss pass and senior rail card but not got round to it. It’s top of my list for when I get home.

Stopping the youngsters voting is the reason this has been introduced, IMO.

It’s a Tory policy to exclude poor and young voters who generally don’t vote for them. They have set up the ID rules to ensure old people will generally have ID and young people won’t.

I don't doubt there is a small cohort of older people who this policy could impact, and it's important for them to register and apply for photo ID. (Or get someone to do it for them.)

However, this policy was clearly designed to add barriers to other groups voting: younger people, especially students, poorer people (i.e. those with no passport or driving licence) and people, especially women, from certain ethnic or religious backgrounds who are — statistically — less likely to hold any state-issued ID.

If you believe in representative democracy, and the right to vote for all, these are the groups we should be tilting our sails at. Voter ID is already in as policy; the shit has been shat in that regard. So the tactic now needs to be to ensure as many of the disenfranchised groups can vote.

Yes, this may include some elderly people. But it's not just elderly people. And I would imagine they're not even in the top five of groups this policy would impact.

Absolute drivel. Young people are more likely than old to have photographic ID, and even if they don't have any, free voter IDs will be available for all.

I completely agree @Allthegoodnamesarechosen

We recently received notification that ID will need to be shown to vote and here is the list of suitable ID's you can use according to our local council letter:

Passport, Electoral ID document, full or provisional driving license, biometric immigration doc, older person bus pass, PASS card, disabled person bus pass, Ministry of Defence form 90, 60+ Oyster Card, Blue Badge, Freedom Pass.

Further more any of these forms of ID don't even have to be in date as long as it's a good likeness they can have expired. You can also apply for a FREE ID voting certificate.

So to answer your question OP, no I don't think those > 80 years (or anyone else for that matter) are at risk of losing their vote. I'm surprised that up until now you've been able to do something as important as vote without ID.

I would imagine that the greatest risk to older people losing their vote would be transport/accessibility to voting stations and for that we have postal voting.

If with all the above in place to support you being able to vote you still can't manage it then it's probably a good thing that you don't vote because presumably you aren't fit to vote anyway.

www.electoral-reform.org.uk/voter-id-list-gives-few-options-for-younger-voters/

I think it's younger and poorer voters who are likely to be disenfranchised rather than the elderly- some info on this link. It's a terrible change, so harmful to our voting system and representation.

I don’t vote anymore because there’s only two political parties to choose between and neither of them are any good plus a small third one that will never win. That to me is not democracy. Plus MP’s are just overpaid self serving trough feeders who constantly vote themselves pay rises without putting it to the electorate.
They get in for 5 years and then just do whatever they like despite the wishes of the people who pay their wages for whom they effectively work. The ridiculous ULEZ expansion being a prime example. Democracy is just an illusion to cloak an established order.

You don't need ID for a postal vote atm

It means that we need to push for people to register for a postal vote and to know that a proxy vote is an option.

Most people don't know how the electoral system works. That is a democratic crisis.

@ColonelDax you can’t actually seriously believe that the Tories would introduce a policy that would impact their own voters more than labour voters, when there is zero need for the change?

In any event, all evidence suggests that based on the ID that they are allowing, those most impacted will be the young as opposed to the old.

Why doesn't she just do a postal vote? So much easier.