Voter ID Fraudulent Votes
2021-06-17
TAGS
Response quality
Questions & Answers
Q1
Partial Answer
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Context
The issue of potential fraudulent votes in elections is under scrutiny with the government proposing to mandate voter ID. The Electoral Commission's assessment on this matter is being questioned.
What recent estimate has the commission made of the potential number of fraudulent votes that will be prevented with plans to mandate voter ID at future elections?
The commission has made no detailed assessment of the number of fraudulent votes that could be prevented as a result of the Government's proposed policy to introduce voter ID requirements. While levels of reported electoral fraud in the UK are consistently low, they do vary and there is no reliable methodology for forecasting instances of electoral fraud.
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Assessment & feedback
The number of fraudulent votes prevented by mandating voter ID was not estimated.
Response accuracy
Q2
Partial Answer
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Context
Concerns about the suppression of electoral participation, particularly among poorer communities and minority ethnic groups, are raised regarding proposed voter ID mandates.
Previous work by the commission shows that voter impersonation is rare. However, experience from other countries suggests that schemes involving production of identification at polling stations can suppress turnout especially in marginalized communities. Will this be considered when formulating advice to the Government?
Hon. Members will have seen that, at both state and federal level, there are discussions about electoral law. We may have lessons to learn from fellow democratic countries, and I will pass that recommendation on to the commission for its consideration.
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Assessment & feedback
The specific advice formulation process regarding voter ID schemes' impact was not addressed with concrete commitments.
Response accuracy