General Chat

As I have to take proof of who I am I wont be voting, it is annoying beyond measure that we have to do it, how does everyone else feel about this? Is it just me?

Zzzz I guess its to cut down on fraud. Myself and daughter do a postal vote so don't ever have to leave the house!

Just go and vote and show your bus pass or passport, it wont take any longer really.

It's become the norm to have Id on you really all the time as you never know who might ask for it. I personally have my passport on me all the time as well as driving licence which is still valid although I dont drive.

Florence in the hebrides

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate from Gov.uk if you don’t have the required photo id

I think a bus pass will be accepted.

I don't see any problem at all with showing confirmation of identity for something as important as voting. Anything that helps to cut down on electoral fraud is OK by me and, though there are a few exceptions, the majority of people carry photo id around with them anyway, in the form of a bus pass, driving licence, student card etc.

I don't see any problem in having to show I.D.
My bus pass easily fits into a zipped pocket of my coat, so is easily to hand at the polling station.

I know Florence lives in a quieter area than many of us, but I wouldn't want to be carrying around my passport every day.

I agree with Gwyn. I don’t carry my passport with me, but I do carry my driving licence and bus pass. Both of which are cheaper to replace if damaged than a passport. When abroad I put my passport in the safe and carry a photocopy of the relevant page.

I have it my handbag because usually its when I go away by plane for appointments I need it. I rarely leave the house but once every 3 months but its in my handbag if I need it.

I have no problem with showing ID at all. I always carry at least 3 forms of this with me

Showing ID wouldn't worry me at all.

Having said that, I too have a postal vote - so handy!

I signed up for that many years ago, when I was working a long day, and was too tired to think about going to a polling station at the end of it.

I have a postal vote as for several years we spent all May in North Tenerife. But I agree with having to show ID for voting.
I would not carry my passport around though.

Life would be easier if we all had a national identity card. It would simplify matters when you have to prove your identity for all legal matters. It causes no end of problems for people who don’t have passports or driving licences. Of course the civil liberties people are totally against such an idea.

One of my siblings doesn't have a passport or drivers license.

I have neither a driving licence nor a current passport, but will use my bus pass.

I don't agree to having to show identity to vote - the amount of fraud is miniscule.
It seems to be a way to discourage people from voting.

'Possession of ID is not universal: research by the Electoral Commission shows that around 3.5 million citizens (7.5% of the electorate) do not have access to photo ID. If voter identification requirements were restricted to passports or driving licences, around 11 million citizens (24% of the electorate) could potentially be disenfranchised.'

'One of the key pieces of evidence used to support the need for the government’s voter ID pilots was discredited by the UK Statistics Authority (UKSA) in the run-up to the 2018 vote. The government claimed that in-person voter fraud more than doubled between 2014 and 2016. While the statistic is technically accurate – there was a rise from 21 cases in 2014 to 44 in 2016 – the Cabinet Office failed to mention that the number of cases then fell by more than a third in 2017, to 28'

Strikes me, the best thing to do is vote - and vote against the party that introduced uneccessary voter ID!

:-D :-D :-D

We have an Ontario ID card for people without drivers licences to use as ID over here. We have to show ID to vote amongst other things, and need a photo ID health card to receive medical treatment without paying. In all honesty it's no big thing showing a card if it stops some fraud.

ZZzz I’m on my iPad so can’t c & P. If your sibling is worried about not being able to vote then tell them about the Voter Authority Certificate that I mentioned earlier. You can find it by googling. You can also find a list of acceptable id

added: Here is the Gov.uk page - scroll down for the list of usable id and further down for the link to the certificate
https://www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need

Having been in the Navy we are used to carrying ID around. Most of the places abroad where we have lived have required us to get their version of an ID card - no argument.

We haven't got local elections here but no doubt we will need ID when we do have them . I agree that in this country electoral fraud is minimal, but in other countries eg USA it is widespread, so perhaps they are trying to prevent it from happening !!

Similar to Caroline, we have a BC Identity card with a photo and address that can be used in place of a driving license, and we also have a BC Medical Services Card that has our photograph on it.

We have to show ID when voting, and have had to do so for many years, I used to have to take my passport as I have never had a driving license. We also have had to show photo ID when checking in at hotels here for quite a few years, and also when flying within Canada let alone down into the States or overseas.

I don't have any problem about showing ID ................... it's better than getting a stamp on your hand or your finger painted as happens in many other countries!

I have no problem to take proof of ID to vote I think it should have been brought in a long time ago, at the same time I would have no problem with having ID cards but you would get people saying the government are spying on us maybe one day they’ll be issued