Voter ID

Thank you for contacting me about proposals to introduce Voter ID.

I believe that a secure electoral system is vital to the integrity of our democracy. Every instance of voter impersonation is an offence which is entirely preventable by requiring voters to bring photo ID to their polling station. This would bring the law in England into line with Northern Ireland and a number of democratic countries around the world. Voter ID has been backed by the Electoral Commission, which has said that 66% of people say they would feel more confident in the voting process if there were a requirement for voters to show identification, and also by the OSCE’s Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, which states that the lack of voter ID is a security risk. In pilot schemes run in 2018 and 2019, the overwhelming majority of people cast their vote without a problem, and the success of these pilots demonstrates that this is a reasonable and proportionate measure, with no notable adverse effect on turnout. Given how close some election results, especially at local level, can be, I believe it is important that we take this step to ensure the highest levels of electoral integrity.

I would like to reassure you that, under the Government’s proposals, anyone without an ID will be able to apply for a new free one, meaning that no voter will be disenfranchised. These measures are part of a broader effort to secure the integrity of our elections, including against interference from foreign powers like Russia, which most recently almost certainly attempted to influence the 2019 general election. The Government has launched the Defending Democracy programme to counter this threat. Under this programme, steps have been taken to protect our core electoral mechanics against disinformation operations and attacks on our electoral infrastructure.

Thank you again for taking the time to contact me.