UK govt not giving up on Voter ID for 2025 local elections

Removing voter ID from the UK’s elections is not on the table, Minister for Homelessness and Democracy Rushanara Ali confirmed last week during a government hearing.

The hearing, held last Thursday by the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, queried the government on the Electoral Commission’s report related to the May 2024 general elections.

The parliamentary elections were the second time voters were required to show photo IDs at polling stations after the 2023 local elections. The report found that around 16,000 people, or 0.25 percent, were unable to vote in person at the general election due to the requirement to show ID at a polling station. Around two-thirds of those people returned later in the day with an accepted form of ID and were able to vote.

“What we are focused on is improving the system and making sure that we look at what else we can do in relation to voter ID, and getting those legitimate voters who are excluded included,” Ali says.

The government is currently reviewing the Voter ID which has been criticized by certain rights groups, according to Byline Times. Among ideas that are being discussed is using digital versions of identification documents stored in the Gov.uk wallet as well as a digital Voter Authority Certificate (VAC).

The next local elections are scheduled for May 1st, 2025. Voters will be able to show more than 20 forms of ID at polling stations while those without a photo ID can apply for a voter authority certificate (VAC).

The UK’s Association of Electoral Administrators has also recommended including other forms of voter ID.

The government has already accepted the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card and National Entitlement Card issued by Scottish local authorities as an ID form for the elections.  Other forms of ID should be considered, including digital IDs, the Merseytravel Over 60s pass and firearms licenses, the organization said in a report published in February.

Article Topics

digital ID  |  elections  |  identity document  |  identity verification  |  UK  |  voter identification