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AIBU?

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Original poster

Voting ID is a nonsense

217 replies

Cranmer · 04/05/2023 21:01

They asked to see my ID at the polling station door, but I went to the desk and could have said I was anyone. Should they not check it against your name and address, not just randomly look at the picture at the door?

All this does is put people off voting as they can't be bothered to get their passport out the drawer. Grrrrr

OP posts:
Thread gallery
5
Semm · 04/05/2023 21:03

YABU

Gollumsring · 04/05/2023 21:04

my friend has dual citizenship and they refused her Irish passport, despite having her voting card with her

malmi · 04/05/2023 21:04

I was thinking the same! They checked my ID in one room and asked me to say my name, then sent me to the main room where someone else asked me for my address and gave me my ballot. Without checking against my ID. Can anyone explain?

MaisieMay23 · 04/05/2023 21:05

They asked me at the desk & matched my name in my D/L to the name in the book (roll/list whatever).

Original poster
Cranmer · 04/05/2023 21:10

MaisieMay23 · 04/05/2023 21:05

They asked me at the desk & matched my name in my D/L to the name in the book (roll/list whatever).

That is what I expected to happen! When I queried it, they said 'We check the ID at the door to speed things up.' There was 7 staff and just me voting... bonkers!

OP posts:
Bubbles254 · 04/05/2023 21:12

They didn't even ask for it where I went to vote.

Beneficialchampion2 · 04/05/2023 21:12

Asked for my I'd at both entrance and the desk when stating my address. The correct process.

Ifailed · 04/05/2023 21:13

of course it is, the Torys bought it in to try and exclude people who may vote Labour, but now the hard-right press are complaining it might deter older votes who tend to vote Tory!

BurscoughBooths · 04/05/2023 21:14

Beneficialchampion2 · 04/05/2023 21:12

Asked for my I'd at both entrance and the desk when stating my address. The correct process.

Why is that correct? Surely showing your ID once is enough, at the desk where you are given your ballot paper

NoNamesLeft371 · 04/05/2023 21:14

Asked for mine when “checking in” and getting polling card.

PonyPatter44 · 04/05/2023 21:15

There was noone on the door at our polling station. The poll clerk checked ID and then handed over the ballot papers.

Marsyas · 04/05/2023 21:15

That wasn't my experience. I was asked if I had it at the door, but they didn't want to see it. At the desk they gave it a good look, looked at me, said "yes that's definitely you." They may have inputted something to say I had ID, not sure. Then they scanned my polling card.

jabbajabbafunday · 04/05/2023 21:16

Ifailed · 04/05/2023 21:13

of course it is, the Torys bought it in to try and exclude people who may vote Labour, but now the hard-right press are complaining it might deter older votes who tend to vote Tory!

Aren't freedom passes / bus passes acceptable forms of ID but young people's travel passes not to avoid that from happening (allegedly!)

NoNamesLeft371 · 04/05/2023 21:16

Gollumsring · 04/05/2023 21:04

my friend has dual citizenship and they refused her Irish passport, despite having her voting card with her

tgat Should be challenged somehow. It clearly states that an Irish passport is acceptable. And the ID isn’t to check if you’re eligible to vote, surely?

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

Accepted forms of photo ID

Learn about the different types of photo ID that will be accepted at elections that require photo ID

https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

SofiaSoFar · 04/05/2023 21:17

They checked we had ID with us at the door and then checked IDs against address on the list before giving the ballot papers.

WeWereInParis · 04/05/2023 21:17

That does seem like a bizarre system at your polling station OP. We had ours checked at the desk where you give your name and get your voting card.

Marsyas · 04/05/2023 21:18

Beneficialchampion2 · 04/05/2023 21:12

Asked for my I'd at both entrance and the desk when stating my address. The correct process.

That is not the correct procedure because if they ask for ID at the door and you don't have it and leave, and don't come back, you will not be counted as "someone who tried to vote but didn't" and we won't know how many people have been disenfranchised. If you get to the desk, you will be counted, as I understand it.

Strawbag · 04/05/2023 21:19

A very prim and proper lady eyeballed my id for a good 2 minutes before finally accepting it was me. I felt like a teenager again trying to get into some dodgy club with a fake id.

IbizaToTheNorfolkBroads · 04/05/2023 21:19

WeWereInParis · 04/05/2023 21:17

That does seem like a bizarre system at your polling station OP. We had ours checked at the desk where you give your name and get your voting card.

Me too
Even though the presiding officer (or whatever the job is called) used to be my daughter's childminder and knows me well!

pizzaHeart · 04/05/2023 21:20

MaisieMay23 · 04/05/2023 21:05

They asked me at the desk & matched my name in my D/L to the name in the book (roll/list whatever).

The same here. We were checked by clerk at the desk after we showed her our poll cards.

Anniegetyourgun · 04/05/2023 21:20

They checked mine and my son's ID, crossed us off the list and handed us our ballot papers. That seems like the right way to me and I'd have been very surprised if it had been done differently.

Theunamedcat · 04/05/2023 21:21

We had a lady outside checking we HAD id then it was checked at the desk before handing over the card

DoAWheelie · 04/05/2023 21:21

The point was never to make voting more secure. It was to remove votes from poor people who are the most likely to have no ID and most likely to vote labour.

It's working perfectly at its intended goal as voter suppression.

saltinesandcoffeecups · 04/05/2023 21:22

Strawbag · 04/05/2023 21:19

A very prim and proper lady eyeballed my id for a good 2 minutes before finally accepting it was me. I felt like a teenager again trying to get into some dodgy club with a fake id.

Last time I voted (US) the poll worker was nice enough to let me know my Driver’s License was expiring this year.

Shit come to think of it I need to renew it this month.

Probably not your intent for the thread @Cranmer but thanks! And I agree methinks your poll workers need some more training 🤣

Georgie8 · 04/05/2023 21:29

What @Marsyas said -“greeters” checking before you get to the desk means those without suitable id leave, when they should go to the desk and have it noted that a ballot cannot be given to them because of insufficient id.
This info is supposed to be fed back, even for those who return with id and vote.
I believe some areas are doing this so they can say that they’ve properly disseminated the info about needing photo id.

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