Voter ID trials will tackle the UK’s “19th Century” electoral security measures, the Government says, but there are fears millions of voters could end up unable to vote.
Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith said voters in 10 “diverse” areas across the country will be asked to show ID in next month’s local elections.
This is a pilot scheme which will precede a planned national rollout it is hoped will be ready for 2022.
Ms Smith said: “Electoral fraud is an unacceptable crime that strikes at the core principle of our democracy, which is that every vote matters.
“In our current system, there is undeniably potential for electoral fraud, and the perception of that undermines public confidence in our democracy.
“We only need to walk up to the polling station and say our name and address. That is an identity check from the 19th Century, based on the assumption that everybody in the community knows each other.”
Ms Smith said voter ID pilots are a “reasonable” way of making sure the system will work ahead of a national rollout. She said people are used to showing ID every day, and that having to show ID would not put voters off.
"Disproportionate impact on voters from ethnic minority communties"
Labour MP Cat Smith (Lancaster and Fleetwood) said there is no need to bring in the measures, and claimed they would end up “disproportionately” affecting people from minorities and older voters.
Ms Smith said: “Civil society groups and the EHRC (Equality and Human Rights Commission) have warned that voter ID will have a disproportionate impact on voters from ethnic minority communities, older people, trans people, and disabled people.
“Have you failed to notice the Windrush scandal which demonstrated that it can be more difficult for some communities to provide official documentation than for others?”
Ms Smith said 3.5 million UK citizens do not have access to any photo ID.
She said if acceptable ID is limited to passports or driver’s licences, the number of people who would not be able to vote would rise to 11 million.
Tory minister Ms Smith responded, saying the measures are necessary to keep elections “safe and secure”.
She accused Labour MP Ms Smith of “scare-mongering and conspiracy theorising”, and denied people would be put off voting.
SNP Cabinet Office spokesman Tommy Sheppard said voter fraud is a problem “so minor as really not to exist at all”.
He said the Government would do better to focus on including more voters to vote in the first place.
Tory minister Ms Smith said evidence published last year indicates there is no negative impact on voter turn out from introducing ID measures.
