Photo ID to vote is a flagrant cladding attack

[Pireck]

You will need photo ID to vote in the general election this year. This won't be a problem for me personally as I have it, but many of the people where I grew up are too poor to drive or travel abroad. Many people in this country don't have valid photo ID, and they shouldn't have to to shell out a significant amount of money they likely don't have in order to cast their vote. An absolutely flagrant attack on the poor and otherwise deprived.

The title is supposed to read classist, not cladding.

That doesn’t prove anything
Perhaps others without ID realised they couldn’t vote and didn’t show up?

Yes.
Pensioners bus pass - acceptable ID
Students bus pass - not acceptable ID
Funny that isn't it!

And:

"t least 0.25% of people who tried to vote at a polling station in May 2023 were not able to because of the voter ID requirement – this was equivalent to approximately 14,000 people who were not issued with a ballot paper"

What is NOT KNOWN is how many people turned up, realised they didn't have any ID and didn't even try to vote.

Only those who tried to vote but were refused were counted.

Load of arse - it’s not a major issue - just another typically stupid “solution” to a problem that doesn’t exist.

My poll card says you can get free photo id if you havent already got some.
If this is not universal, then it's an issue but if all are councils are offering it then I dont see the issue

For Nearly every single job you need ID now . Your employers need to keep it on your records for making sure you have checked age eligibility etc. the only people I know who did not have ID were my parents . But the had a postal vote .

I think if people don’t vote it’s nothing to do with what you said it’s political apathy and that can apply to all classes .

The people vociferously arguing FOR Photo ID? What are your reasons?

I'm on benefits due to mental health.
My drivers license ran out in 2015.
My passport ran out 2020.
Im not spending money on a new passport that will probably be used once a year and I'm not renewing My drivers licence because I have no car.
I've just done the application on line.
As far as I can tell, a lack of phone that takes photos, a blank wall or the Internet are the only reasons you can't do this.
Even then most people know someone who has a phone and the library has Internet and computers.

Erm yes, posting anonymously as is everyone else on this forum. Which is why the elections aren't run through fora like this 🙄

So I hope you are glad I posted the actual data from the Electoral Commission when you asked for the data.

disabled people can use their blue badge or their transport pass. Pensioners can use their freedom pass. People being evicted, or moving for any other reason, can't vote until they are on the electrol register at their new address anyway.

Applying for free proof of ID is no more onerous than reading through the manifestos to choose who to vote for anyway. And if people cant be bothered to put a bit of effort into making sure their vote goes into the right box, should they be voting anyway?

Without voter ID there is constant fraud. This is waaaay overdue. You are making a fuss about nothing

Personally I've always thought it's bizarre that you can just turn up claiming to be Person A and vote.

but student age passes are fine

It also creates a myriad of other problems, family bullying where 'he' does all the voting, double voting for those living in two places, eg students. Postal voting makes a mockery of the one person, one vote system and has been knowingly abused.

yes

Gosh! The hardship
You do realise people in other countries have gone through a lot worse than filling out a form to vote don't you?

It'll be interesting to see what the turnout is this time around.

Sorry, who exactly are you offended on behalf of here? Who have you decided is suppressed and downtrodden? Because the people I know who work in supermarkets, hospitals and refuse are none of those things, and perfectly capable of sorting out their voting.

Are you AI? you seem to be blurting out unrealistic cliches and stereotypes without any knowledge of the people you are talking about, or any awareness about how someone might think about being spoken about like this.

And they can vote by proxy https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/voting-by-proxy

And if they don’t really understand? Not dementia but a bit confused?

Turnout in local elections is low anyway.

It's the General Election that will be key - and the Government response to the Electoral Commissions concerns was dismissive. For some reason.

I did a student age pass for my dd's friend, it was quite a complex process and I had to have it done through my work email address to prove I was who I said. (There is a list of who is acceptable). Maybe that is why it is acceptable.

I have ways needed photo ID here in NI, I've never heard of it causing any issues.

You need photo ID to open a bank account, apply for any benefits, rent/buy a property, get a job. How do people without do any of these??

I just applied for a passport after letting mine lapse for five years. I am a single mother of many years, working full time with two DC, oldest DC I am supporting through university. I am in a middle-income professional job and I am constantly time poor and low level depressed and actually do not have a lot of spare cash.

So life admin tasks which should take 5-10 mins are coming on top of all the other tasks which need done. And I am the only person who does them. And the £82 for a passport has always been more urgently spent on something else. I get that you can apply for the free photo ID, I am just using my five year lead time to actually renew my passport as an example here.

I don’t think I am lazy and feckless and I do think the OP is type-casting ‘poor people’, but the people least likely to have the time are probably woman juggling work and childcare with no support, and it’s a bit of a failure of imagination to claim that requiring photo ID does not create additional barriers to exercising democratic participation in elections.