“Voters will be asked to produce photographic identification at polling stations under controversial proposals from the Electoral Commission to combat fraud.
Sam Younger, the commission’s chairman, told The Times that there was an urgent need for greater security at the ballot box following new safeguards for those voting by post.
He suggested that voters should produce a passport, driving licence or other photo ID at polling booths, or apply for a free electoral identity card.” (The Times)
A common sense idea for once! It makes a very nice change. Usually I blog complaining about how stupid ideas seem to be so prevalent. It’s nice to finally see an intelligent idea.
I have never been able to understand why it isn’t already compulsory. It’s not like we have a shortage of photo ID nowadays, or that it would slow down the voting process! I have three photo ID cards in my wallet at all times, and I’m sure that most people have more. It is, however, a completely separate issue to ID cards.
I was really surprised the first time I went to vote and didn’t have to show ID. I could have been anyone who just happened to know a few things about me. We need photo ID for everything nowadays, so why should possibly the most important thing that we can do, exercise our democratic right to vote, not be subject to the same sort of controls that govern even something as simple as buying alcohol? If they’re not convinced that you are 21, checkout operators are required by law to ask for photo ID. Why is this not also true in polling stations?
This proposal by the Electoral Commission is pure common sense. We want to prevent electoral fraud, so ask for photo ID to be produced at the polling station. It doesn’t take long to look at a photo and compare to a face. Our democracy should be protected, and this small requirement is hardly a big ask. We all have photo ID anyway, so producing it isn’t exactly going to inconvenience anyone greatly!
Source: The Times
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[...] voters to rock up and vote just like that. They propose photo ID being required in order to vote. This I support. It is just common sense. At the moment, the electoral system is so open to fraud right at the [...]
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[...] voters to rock up and vote just like that. They propose photo ID being required in order to vote. This I support. It is just common sense. At the moment, the electoral system is so open to fraud right at the [...]
As they’d say in the trades unions, “you’re a boss’s man”. When you have had a bit more time to realise where this great ID Project is going, you will understand your error. What is proposed here is just another little chipping away at the edges to make the eventual compulsion to register on the National ID Register just so normal that no “sane” person could resist. Nazi Germany was a dry run for what is coming: an industrial scale holocaust.
Three forms of ID?!
I didn’t know three “recognisable” ones existed. Unless you carry your passport with you at all times…
You’d be suprised how many people don’t have Photo ID. And what’s more it tends to be the elderly folk who actually turn up to vote!
(unlike those of us in our 20’s who tend to ignore politics as much as possible.)
I’ve always wondered the same thing as far as why I’m never asked for an ID when I vote.
It doesn’t seem too complicated.
It seems that most people in the US and UK will forgoe trying to stop voter fraud in the hopes of holding off the National ID.
Whether or not anyone ever proposes a national ID; voter fraud is serious enough that it should be stopped if possible. This is one way to stop most of it.
‘Scuse my ignorance but I can’t see the point of it. You go up to them, the person rules a line through your name in the book - done.
But do they know who you are? You could be anyone as far as they know. photo ID can thus be used to safeguard our democratic process.
Photo ID is often required to buy alcohol. Why aren’t the same sort of rules applied to the far more important area of elections?