We’re just two weeks away from local elections here in England, a crucial time to make our voices heard on a local level. However many could be at risk of not being allowed to vote.
The government have brought in a law that in order to vote you must have ID, this means that unless you have a valid ID you will be turned away.
One of the reasons for the new law is that it will apparently make elections safer and prevent voter fraud. However, there have been just nine convictions and six police cautions over voter fraud since 2018.
So you have to ask yourself how big a problem this actually is and what the government is actually trying to prevent.
Disabled people, LGBTQ+ people, poor people, people of colour, young people and elderly people will be affected by voter ID as they are least likely to have either a valid ID or one that matches their name and identity.
As is typical with the Tory government these groups are those most at the peril of their policies - and most likely to vote against them.
There are many forms of ID that can be used, including a passport, driving licence, a blue badge, an over 60s bus pass, a disabled person’s bus pass and PASS card. However, it’s still not enough. And it’s worth pointing out the hypocrisy in which travel cards are valid ID - for example, an over 60s bus pass is allowed but a young persons isn’t.
Disabled people are least likely to hold valid ID as many of us don’t drive or have a passport, the nature of changing disability also means that we may not look like the ID we do hold. Elderly people may also no longer have in-date ID.
Another problem is that while many people may have ID, it may not be accepted because the name or image on their ID doesn’t match their polling card. This can apply to trans and queer people who’ve changed their names but haven’t been able to afford new ID or those who no longer match the image on their ID.
There’s a fear among those who wear face coverings in line with their religious or cultural beliefs that they will have to remove them in order to prove they match their ID. This could be done safely but it would require privacy screens and mirrors for all 40,000 polling stations, which the government hasn’t committed to.
However, it’s also affecting those of us who have valid ID. In my case my still in date passport doesn’t count, because it’s still in my maiden name. I haven’t gotten a new one because I can still legally use it until it runs out in five years time. I wasn’t going to pay £82 for a new one when I’ve only been abroad once in the last 5 years and I can use it for most things with the explanation that it’s in my maiden name.
If you don’t have any of those forms of ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate from the Government website - https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate - which will allow you to vote and I would hugely urge you to do so if you can. The deadline for Voter Authority Certificate applications is 25th April
It’s estimated that around two million people don’t have a valid form of ID to vote and that while the Voter Authority Certificate campaign is trying its hardest, just 56,000 have applied to the scheme.
The reasons for this include lack of awareness in communities and voter apathy but it also lies in the way you apply. Online applications can be a confusing experience for disabled people, elderly people who aren’t computer literate and those for English isn’t their first language.
These elections will be crucial in staving off the evilness of the Tories at a local level and they’re banking on the disadvantaged to not vote - so please ensure that you can. It’s also vital that we help others ensure they can vote.
Talk to your family, friends and neighbours and see if they definitely have a valid ID, if not ask if there’s a way you can help them apply. We have just a week to ensure that as many people can vote as possible.
Voter ID will suppress the very people the Tories don’t want voting. We can’t let that happen.
