London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Monday, Jun 30, 2025

New voter ID requirement sparks concern ahead of English elections

New voter ID requirement sparks concern ahead of English elections

Voters in England will for the first time have to produce photo I.D. in order to cast their ballot when polling stations open in local elections next week, sparking concern that some parts of the electorate will in effect be disenfranchised by the change.
Large parts of England vote in local council elections on May 4, and a national election is expected next year.

In Northern Ireland and many countries in Europe, the need to produce photo ID is established and not unusual. But rapid adoption of this new system in England leaves campaigners fearing that voters will be caught out by the change.

Jess Garland, Director of Policy and Research at the Electoral Reform Society, said the move could disenfranchise voters who don't have the right ID, adding others may forget.

"There's a lot of risk in doing what is essentially the biggest change to our elections for a generation," she said.

The change is happening in Wales and Scotland as well, although they don't hold local polls next week. Previously, people needed to register to vote, but only needed to give their name and address in order to cast their ballot.

The change applies to those hoping to vote in person rather than by post, and the deadline for members of the public to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if they do not have another accepted form of photo ID is Tuesday.

But, with up to a quarter of people still unaware of the change, critics say the risks of the move outweigh the benefits given a low incidence of voter personation fraud.

The Electoral Commission, which regulates voting in Britain, said that there were just 7 cases of alleged personation fraud at a polling stations in 2022, all of which saw no further action taken by police due to insufficient evidence.

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has downplayed concerns and said the change would ensure a "high integrity" voting process. His office says 98% of people already have an accepted form of ID.

REDUCING BARRIERS
The Electoral Commission said awareness of the change had risen from 22% in December to 76% in March and it was confident that for most people there would be no problem.

However its director of communications Craig Westwood said groups like trans people, Travellers and those with learning disabilities were less likely to have the right ID.

Daisy Sands, head of campaigns at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, said low income would-be voters were already less likely to vote. "We should be encouraging people to vote, not making it more difficult," she said.

Though Garland from the ERS said voters across many different parties would be affected by this scheme, some opposition politicians fear the changes will stop voters who traditionally back them from taking part in the elections.

James Higginbottom, a councillor for the opposition Labour Party, said the government was copying tactics used by some in the U.S. Republican Party where some states have tightened voter identification laws amid claims about the threat of voter fraud.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
Trump Administration Considers Withdrawal of Funding for Hospitals Providing Gender Treatment to Minors
Texas Enacts Law Allowing Gold and Silver Transactions
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
OpenAI Secures Multimillion-Dollar AI Contracts with Pentagon, India, and Grab
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Germany Votes to Suspend Family Reunification for Asylum Seekers
Elon Musk Critiques Senate Budget Proposal Over Job Losses and Strategic Risks
Los Angeles Riots ended with Federal Investigations into Funding
Budapest Pride Parade Draws 200,000 Participants Amid Government Ban
Southern Europe Experiences Extreme Heat
Xiaomi's YU7 SUV Launch Garners Record Pre-Orders Amid Market Challenges
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez's Lavish Wedding in Venice
Russia Launches Largest Air Assault on Ukraine Since Invasion
Education Secretary Announces Overhaul of Complaints System Amid Rising Parental Grievances
Massive Anti-Government Protests Erupt in Belgrade
Trump Ends Trade Talks with Canada Over Digital Services Tax
UK Government Softens Welfare Reform Plans Amid Labour Party Rebellion
Labour Faces Rebellion Over Disability Benefit Reforms Ahead of Key Vote
Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez Host Lavish Wedding in Venice Amid Protests
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
North Korea to Open New Beach Resort to Boost Tourism Economy
UK Labour Party Faces Internal Tensions Over Welfare Reforms
Andrew Cuomo Hints at Potential November Comeback Amid Democratic Primary Results
Curtis Sliwa Champions His Vision for New York City Amid Rising Crime Concerns
Federal Reserve Proposes Changes to Capital Rule Affecting Major Banks
EU TO HUNGARY: LET THEM PRIDE OR PREP FOR SHADE. ORBÁN TO EU: STAY IN YOUR LANE AND FIX YOUR OWN MESS.
Trump Escalates Criticism of Media Over Iran Strike Coverage
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
Big Four Accounting Firms Fined in Exam Cheating Scandal
NATO Members Agree to 5% Defense Spending Target by 2035
Australia's Star Casino Secures $195 Million Rescue Package Amid Challenges
UK to Enhance Nuclear Capabilities with Acquisition of F-35A Fighter Jets
Russian Shadow Payments via Cryptocurrency Reach $9 Billion
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Macron and Merz: Europe must arm itself in an unstable world
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Airlines Evaluate Flight Cancellations Amid Escalating US-Iran Tensions
Starmer Invites Innovators to Join Government Talent Scheme
UK Economy’s Strong Opening Quarter Shows Signs of Cooling
Harrods Seeks Court Order to Secure Al Fayed Estate for Victims
BA and Singapore Airlines Cancel Dubai Flights Amid Middle East Tensions
Trump Faces Backlash from MAGA Base Over Iran Strikes
Meta Bets $14 B on Alexandr Wang to Drive AI Ambitions
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
FedEx Founder Fred Smith, ‘Heart and Soul’ of the Company, Dies at 80
Chinese Factories Shift Away from U.S. Amid Trump‑Era Tariffs
Pimco Seizes Opportunity in Japan’s Dislocated Bond Market
×