Baroness Drake, chair of the House of Lords Constitution Committee, discusses how implementation of the new voter ID requirement could be improved.
The House of Lords Constitution Committee, which I chair, has today written to the Minister for Local Government, Simon Hoare MP, suggesting how implementation of the new voter ID requirement—in place for the first time at the May 2023 local elections—might be improved to minimise any negative effects on the ability of the electorate to cast their vote at future elections.
The new requirement was introduced by the Elections Act 2022 as part of the Government’s Electoral Integrity Programme, one of the primary objectives of which is to enhance engagement in UK democracy. Despite this commendable objective, evidence received by the committee during its recent inquiry suggested that the new voter ID requirement affected some demographic groups’ propensity or opportunity to vote.
For example, awareness of the requirement was lower among certain social groups, including young people, some people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those from more deprived areas. Those renting from a social landlord, the unemployed, lower social grades, the over-85s and disabled people were less likely to own a form of photo ID that will be accepted at polling stations. The percentage of non-voters who said voter ID was one of the reasons they were not able to vote in May 2023 was higher among social renters, people living in the most deprived areas and those with a disability impacting their ability to vote in person.
We were impressed to hear from council leaders about bespoke efforts in their local areas to raise awareness about the voter ID requirement, including communications tailored to harder-to-reach demographics. However, research commissioned by the Government suggested that targeted campaigns of this nature were not widespread. In our letter we urge the Government to explore ways in which it might better support awareness raising campaigns seeking to reach those demographics most likely to be negatively affected by the voter ID requirement, including by sharing best practice and leveraging its own existing contact channels for this purpose.
For those who do not own an accepted form of photo ID, the Government has made available the option to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate free of charge. This was described by the Minister as a ‘foundation stone’ of the voter ID policy and was offered as the key means by which voting would remain accessible. However, awareness of the availability of the Voter Authority was unacceptably low and, despite estimations that 250,000 to 300,000 people would need a Voter Authority Certificate to vote in the May 2023 elections, only around 89,500 people applied for one. On polling day, just 25,000 certificates were used.
Research commissioned by the Government itself found ‘no evidence of local [Voter Authority Certificate] awareness campaigns being targeted at those with no accepted photographic identification.’
In our letter we emphasise the vital importance of Voter Authority Certificate awareness-raising campaigns reaching members of the electorate who do not own an accepted form of ID. We will continue to press the Government on steps it is taking to ensure this happens ahead of the upcoming local and general elections.
We also stressed the importance of increasing voter registration as a prerequisite to bolstering Voter Authority Certificate applications.
In the meantime, we suggested the Government revisits other means by which it could improve accessibility in wake of the voter ID requirement. For example, we recommended the Government keep under review the possibility of allowing ‘attestation’ at polling stations, which would allow registered voters who have accepted ID to vouch for the identity of another voter who does not have an accepted form of ID. The Government should also conduct more rigorous research into the potential benefits of adding additional forms of photo ID to the list of accepted ID.
We also suggested the Government explore the possibility of introducing a digital form of the Voter Authority Certificate. This would decrease the administrative burden involved in printing and posting paper certificates, allowing the deadline for applications to be brought closer to polling day and making the service available to voters for longer.
Finally, we raised concerns that multiple changes to the electoral system introduced by the Elections Act 2022 place a significant burden on a system with limited resilience.
It is impossible to anticipate the impact of voter ID on turnout at the next general election. However, research from the Electoral Commission indicates that the impact is likely to be higher than at local elections. People who do not always vote at local elections—and who are less likely to own an accepted form of ID or be aware of the voter ID requirement—are likely to want to participate. Access to voting is an important constitutional principle and every effort should be made to ensure all those who wish to vote are able to do so.
