Voter ID. Tory Government accused of ballot rigging!

 

This May, people who go to a polling station to vote, will be required to show photo-ID before being issued with a ballot paper. Yet, some 11 million people living in the UK, don't have a passport or a driving license because they don't require the documents. Around 3 million people living in Britain don't have photo-ID.

Under the new law, people can apply for a 'Voter Authority Certificate' (VAC). Government data shows that fewer than 21,000 people out of an estimated 2 million, who will require a VAC in the May 2023 elections, have applied for one. Only 505 people aged over 75 have applied for a VAC, and fewer than 6% of applicants were aged under 25.

The opposition political parties in Britain have accused the Tory government of ballot rigging. They point out that elderly people living in Greater London, will be able to use their Oyster Card bus passes as photo-ID when voting in elections, but this doesn't apply to younger people with an Oyster card. Moreover, photo-ID is not required for postal ballots.

Voter turnout in elections has been falling in the UK for decades. Fewer than 30% bother to vote in local elections. Critics say the new law of photo-ID is likely to see voter turnout declining even further.