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Local Government: Elections

Cabinet Office written question – answered at on 30 April 2018.

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Photo of Jo Stevens Jo Stevens Labour, Cardiff Central

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the number of people who do not have photo identification in the local authority areas which are piloting photo ID to vote in the elections on 3 May 2018.

Photo of Chloe Smith Chloe Smith The Parliamentary Secretary, Cabinet Office, Assistant Whip

The British public deserves to have confidence in our democracy. There is clearly the potential for electoral fraud in the systems we have and that undermines confidence and promotes perceptions of vulnerability.

The volunteer local authorities who will pilot voter identification at the local elections in May 2018 chose the forms of photographic and non photographic identification that they believe best suit the needs of their electors. Those local authorities have worked collaboratively with Cabinet Office to design pilots that will support the evaluation of a range of identification options. Information regarding the number of people with photo identification in the piloting local authority areas is not held by the Government.

No-one will need to purchase identification documents to be able to vote and the identification requirements will not be limited to a passport or driving licence. Voters will be able to use a wide variety of ID, from marriage certificates and passports to bus passes and bank cards, depending on where they live. If voters do not have the required ID local authorities are providing alternative or replacement methods, free of charge, to ensure that no one is disenfranchised. Local authorities have notified every eligible voter by including information of the ID requirement on their poll card.

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  • (Citation: HC Deb, 30 April 2018, cW)

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