People in Lichfield and Burntwood are being urged to make sure they have appropriate ID in order to vote at the local elections.
Local council seats will be up for grabs on 4th May, but the rules on voting at polling stations have been changed.
People will now need to bring photographic ID such as a passport, driving licence or bus pass.
Those without a suitable document will need to apply for a voting certificate online.
Although critics have questioned whether the move will prevent some residents from casting their vote, Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant said he was supportive of the switch which will apply to all future elections.
“I fully support the Government is doing this – most European countries have insisted on this for years.
“It will reduce voter fraud which has occurred in some major conurbations and is necessary to ensure confidence in the integrity of our democracy.
“But you do need to remember to bring some approved photo ID when you vote.”
Michael Fabricant
Tip of the iceberg next it will be bring ID to buy your shopping and fill up with fuel???George???
ID Cards were compulsory during the War Years and still in Circulation until 1952.
I think personally they should be Compulsory today.
They would be most help full in all Scenarios.
eg Road Accidents,MissingPersons, illegal activities etc. etc
Because people engaged in illegal activities always carry their own ID don’t they Rose. And how are ID cards going to help in missing persons? As for road accidents, those involved should have an ID Card, we could call it a driving license.
Rose I still have my under 16 ID card on and both my parents ones. All it has is a name,address and registration number on it. Could belong to any one
Rose, ID cards were imposed during WWII on the strict understanding that they were a temporary measure and would be withdrawn at the first opportunity.
Like police officers not being routinely armed, the UK is proud that it is a country that has never required its population to routinely carry ID papers.
If the integrity of the electorate is being brought into question can we have some statistics of where the transgressions have taken place? Is it an ethnicity problem? Is it corrupt politics? Just who has benefited from this illegal actions. Just who is sponsoring it?
You might think that if some organisation is prepared to go to such lengths then providing false identity, which will probably not get much scrutiny, is not going to stop the problem.
Personally I doubt there is a realistic problem in the Lichfield constituency, otherwise we would have a decent MP.
Philip – Since 2019, one person has received a suspended sentence for electoral fraud.
Two Tory MPs have been sentenced to prison terms for sex offences. Simple arithmetic tells us which is the bigger problem.
I don’t have any objection in principle to carrying ID, but then I already do in effect. The justification for this new requirement, to prevent voter fraud, is rubbish, since it is so rare as to be discounted. The criteria for acceptable photo ID under this new requirement would seem to make things more difficult for young voters (who are less likely to vote Tory), but I might just be paranoid!
John Allen – It is hardly paranoia to note that a 60+ railcard is acceptable ID yet a Young Person’s railcard is not. Of the two, who is more likely to vote Tory?
It’s the new three-word slogan, “Stop the Votes.”
@ John Allen…. I’m sorry but I strongly disagree that identity cards should become law. This country has always prided itself on personal freedom. It is just another layer of beurocracy, open to frivolous fines and still capable of false representation.
Our lives are already logged on bio recognition databases and much other surveillance equipment. Short of tattooing our arms there is not much more proof needed as to who we are.
Photo ID legislation will do nothing about postal vote harvesting in nursing homes! Historically, personation at a polling booth is as rare as hen’s teeth. Postal voting offers a far more likely route to succesful election fraud. The recent legislation for photo ID at the polling booth has far more to do with voter suppression than election fraud, as our esteemed MP knows well. But I expect he will be voting for higher redundancy terms and public service medals for MPs failing to secure re-election, just in case!
Voter ID is widely suspected to have been introduced by the frightened Conservative government purely to suppress votes. To suppress voters who would not normally vote Tory – especially young people. The acceptable forms of voter ID include Senior rail cards, but not rail cards for young voters. Why ever not? Deliberate attempt to keep young people from voting. What is also of concern is the news that some Conservative Councils have sent out postal voting forms along with a envelope for return to the local Conservative HQ. MP Andrew Rosindell for Romford has defended this indefensible practice. There should be a law against any political party being able to handle completed voting papers. UK does not have free and fair elections. Tories are up to all sorts of tricks. 2019 election was won through lies and deceit. Next election will be no different. The May local elections will be a test for this abysmal introduction of completely unjustified voter ID.