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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
EBearhug · 05/05/2023 00:36

I don't have an issue with the principle of having to prove you're who you say you are before voting. It's been done in NI for many years, and the rest of the UK should be in line. It also happens in many other countries - but then many other countries have ID cards, which makes it all easier. Not everyone has a driving licence or passport; there's no requirement to have either if you don't drive and don't travel abroad.

There are a lot of issues around how this has been implemented I think, not least the fact there's no guarantee that people will have photo ID. There are ways round it, but I don't think that was advertised as much as the fact you do need ID, how to apply for photo ID if you don't have the more common ones.

Anyway, at our polling station, someone asked at the door if I had ID, but I don't think they were a polling clerk, just a reminder person (I made this assumption, as he was standing next to the current Councillor for our ward.) Then at the desk, one person was checking ID and had a list of acceptable forms of ID in front of them. The person next to them was looking up my name on the electoral roll (which took longer than checking my ID, due to looking at the wrong page - my street covered more than one side of A4...)

Must ask my sister what they did, she is usually a clerk in her village, and she probably knows a good percentage of the voters anyway.

Gilead · 05/05/2023 00:38

The checking at the door is a ploy, if you haven’t entered the building you can’t be counted as having a vote.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/05/2023 00:40

Tinkerbyebye · 04/05/2023 21:46

Don’t be so ridiculous
ID is required when voting in many countries, we are finally getting there, and it will help stop election fraud

Show quote history

what election fraud?

OhYouBadBadKitten · 05/05/2023 00:42

amoretti · 04/05/2023 23:16

My son couldn't vote today as his passport hasn't been returned from the passport office.

he could have obtained an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm.

Thekirit · 05/05/2023 00:55

Gollumsring · 04/05/2023 21:04

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

Really
No one said it had to be a British passport.
Mine was accepted, also dual.

DPotter · 05/05/2023 01:05

The clerk challenged me as my name was given in full on my passport, but only the initials of my middle 2 names were listed on the register, So Elsie Jane Ann Smith on my passport Elsie JA Smith on the register. He really didn't want to allow me a ballot paper. I pointed out the initials stood for the full names in my passport and he grudging agreed.

I have emailed the Electoral Commission about it - I'm in that sort of mood.

Thekirit · 05/05/2023 01:12

DPotter · 05/05/2023 01:05

The clerk challenged me as my name was given in full on my passport, but only the initials of my middle 2 names were listed on the register, So Elsie Jane Ann Smith on my passport Elsie JA Smith on the register. He really didn't want to allow me a ballot paper. I pointed out the initials stood for the full names in my passport and he grudging agreed.

I have emailed the Electoral Commission about it - I'm in that sort of mood.

Good for you.
Too much power being handed out I think.
My polling station had no problem and I’m similar to you
So polling card eg Jane smith
passport jane Mary Helen smith
Not even the middle initials on mine. Plus the polling card had me down as Miss. ( incorrect ) passport Ms.
Still accepted, no one said a thing.
But then my Irish passport was accepted too and someone said there’s wasn’t.

caringcarer · 05/05/2023 03:52

No one at the door as we arrived quite late in evening, but just handed over passports and voting cards. The lady handed us ballot sheets. I don't see a problem with it.

UndercoverCop · 05/05/2023 04:22

I work in the justice system, my husband works in the criminal justice psychiatric team, a large number of our cases have no photo ID and no access to apply for a voter's certificate, many don't even have a phone, and if they do it's likely to be cheap burner type phones without internet access. Not many of them vote usually because they are so disenfranchised and it will be even fewer this time, despite efforts to encourage them to exercise their rights. Should they not get an opportunity or do those on the fringes of society not count?

lljkk · 05/05/2023 04:37

Thanks @jcyclops. That brought a flood of memories back about that scandal.

Sounds like Tories are getting expected drubbing in these elections, soft Tories sat at home on their hands.

travellinglighter · 05/05/2023 04:42

ObfuscationWithMenaces · 04/05/2023 21:39

How did you come up with that little gem?

Show quote history

It’s been speculated on in the press for weeks. A pensioners bus pass is considered sufficient proof to allow you to vote but a student travel pass isn’t sufficient proof.

The electoral commission has expressed concern.

travellinglighter · 05/05/2023 04:53

kitsuneghost · 04/05/2023 23:07

If you aren't voting because you can't be bothered getting a passport out the drawer then you don't deserve a vote.

Show quote history

A passport is £93, if you’re on minimum wage and can’t afford to travel abroad, why fork out the money for a passport. Lots of forms of ID that are carried by the young have been deemed as unacceptable.

https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/voter-id/

https://www.unison.org.uk/news/article/2023/03/voter-id-is-the-governments-latest-threat-to-our-democracy/

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/25/voter-id-laws-what-they-really-are-voter-suppression-and-an-attack-on-young-people

Voter ID: An Expensive Distraction

Evidence from around the world shows that forcing voters to bring photographic ID to the polling station just makes it harder for people to vote – while doing little to increase faith

https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/voter-id/

ObfuscationWithMenaces · 05/05/2023 05:11

travellinglighter · 05/05/2023 04:42

It’s been speculated on in the press for weeks. A pensioners bus pass is considered sufficient proof to allow you to vote but a student travel pass isn’t sufficient proof.

The electoral commission has expressed concern.

Show quote history

Oh, of coure, 'press speculatio'. How silly of me.

And of course, just because "all pensioners vote Tory" and "all students potentiall vote Labour," there is clearly a problem
Dear God, do you base all your opinions on press speculation?

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 05:28

Yuasa · 04/05/2023 23:10

Adding in additional steps or hurdles inevitably catches some people out. Just as how some UK travellers are now being caught out by the rules around passport validity when travelling to to the EU. As more will be when the EU brings in its visa-waiver scheme.

In this situation the people who get caught out are going to drawn from the pool of those who don’t have a passport, driving licence or similar to hand and that
is poorer people in general. Not everyone is organised like your husband - today crept up on me, but it was no big deal because I had the relevant ID in a drawer. If I’d had to apply for something extra in time there’s a good chance I’d have forgotten until it was too late.

Show quote history

There has been loads of advertising.

if people didn't get FREE ID sorted then maybe their vote wouldn't have been an 'informed' one , so no loss.

Willmafrockfit · 05/05/2023 05:31

there was no one on the door,
just the clerk
i gave her the paper, she asked my name and address, showed my, she looked at me
then scanned the paperwork.

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 05:32

Beneficialchampion2 · 04/05/2023 21:12

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

The only one at the door was a Lib Dem bloke asking for poll card numbers. I don't know what he did if you didn't have it on you?

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 05:49

pointythings · 04/05/2023 22:06

This was always intended as a voter suppression measure. Voter fraud in the UK has always been infinitesimally small. It's all very well saying that other countries have voter ID - they do. But those countries also have compulsory ID cards, which the UK does not. If this had been genuinely well intentioned, ID cards would have been brought in first.

the numbers recorded for fraud are LOW, but That must have only caught the ones that were as thick as mince! With no voter ID,how would they gave 'caught others??

I do actually doubt it's a real problem in the U.K. though.

you aren't correct though, there are countries that require voter ID that do not have ID cards, where you just take something from the list of ID, like here.

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 06:09

amoretti · 04/05/2023 23:16

My son couldn't vote today as his passport hasn't been returned from the passport office.

@@amoretti there was a huge list of other ID he could have used.

CurlewKate · 05/05/2023 06:09

Who were the people who checked at the door? Were they actually election officials or were they wearing party rosettes?

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 06:11

kitkatkitkatkitty · 04/05/2023 23:42

Id think getting a postal vote is the best way if you can't be bothered with ID. You get it two and half weeks before the election (plenty of time to think about it and get in the post).

In terms of it making it to its destination - The Royal Mail specially sort postal votes and hand deliver them directly so there is a slim to no chance of it getting lost.

And if you are closer to a poll station than a post box you can hand it in there. you can even hand it in at your town hall/civic building if you want to make sure it gets there.

So Much easier then the faff of going to a poll station on election day - I don't really understand why people still do these days tbh

@kitkatkitkatkitty it's less faff for me to go to the polling station & I quite like the process.

MaisieMay23 · 05/05/2023 06:15

Offthexmaslist · 05/05/2023 00:01

I'm a polling clerk... we checked every id at the desk before issuing ballots despite ABSOLUTELY HATING THIS !! It disenfranchises the poor and is nothing less than Gerrymandering by the Tories but can say nothing as we must remain neutral.. of 897 voters one was refused . ONE too many !! He had an ID card from his very 'public' work .. for the fucking council he worked for !!!

I feel ashamed .

@Offthexmaslist

it seems an odd ID to be refused. But he's old enough to vote, he's old enough to. Heck the list to see if it's a valid ID for this & if not, apply for the FREE voter ID. This is on him, not the process of needing ID (which is normal in most countries).

PennineWay · 05/05/2023 06:18

It makes me sad to think how many people either forgot their ID or were not able to get it in time for whatever reason, and so just didn't vote.

What a world we're living in.

PaulaTrilloe · 05/05/2023 06:22

I submitted a request for a voter ID authority within the deadline online but it did not arrive (yet!). Am sure I am not the only one!

wildfirewonder · 05/05/2023 06:26

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!

I will.lmao if the outcome is turnout amongst older people drops more.

The new rules are a performative nonsense.

Make up a problem and suggest a 'solution' - the fact the public 'support' this change is depressing.

HistoryFanatic · 05/05/2023 06:27

Did you read your voting card where you could have applied online for an iD thing up until 5pm on voting day? Hardly difficult.