Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Voter Identification Requirements: Local Election Turnout

Monday 27 March 2023 · 4 questions

Summarised by AI from the official record, so it can contain mistakes.

Read the full transcript on Parliament.uk

At a glance

Answered 0 Partly answered 3 Not answered 0

Key points

  • Cat Smith asked about the assessment of the impact of introducing voter ID on local election turnout, noting concerns raised by the Electoral Commission in a 2019 review.
  • Cat Smith inquired whether the decision to provide additional funding to the Electoral Commission for voter ID promotion was made before or after the department learned of low take-up of voter authority certificates.
  • Gareth Bacon reminded Cat Smith that Labour introduced voter identification in Northern Ireland in 2003, and the Electoral Commission could not identify any respondent opposing voter ID in a 2021 survey.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Democracy & Elections
Context

The introduction of voter ID in local elections could affect turnout. The Electoral Commission reviewed the impact of a similar pilot scheme in 2019.

Question

What assessment has been made of the potential impact of introducing voter identification on voter turnout for the May 2023 local elections? I note that the Electoral Commission's review of the 2019 voter ID pilots noted significant concerns about impact on turnout. Are we prepared to repeat those mistakes?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

We all know that turnout can vary significantly from election to election due to various factors. The Electoral Commission noted during its review of the 2019 pilot schemes that it is difficult to robustly model the impact of a single factor on voter turnout.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not provide an assessment or measures to ensure higher voter turnout despite potential negative impacts.

How: Not Possible To Model Robustly

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Q2 Cat Smith Lab Lancaster and Wyre
Democracy & Elections
Context

The Department of Culture, Media and Sport recently provided extra funds to the Electoral Commission for voter ID promotion. The question is about whether this decision was made before or after understanding low take-up rates.

Question

Was the department's recent decision to give the Electoral Commission an additional £1.5 million to promote voter ID made before or after the department realised that the take-up of voter authority certificates was very low?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

Part of the reason is to spread awareness about the new voter ID regulations. We have given that additional funding to the Electoral Commission, as well as over £4 million to local authorities for local promotion.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not specify timing or relation to low take-up rates of certificates.

How: Spread Awareness

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Q3 Gareth Bacon Con Orpington
Democracy & Elections
Context

The Conservative member points out that Labour introduced voter identification in Northern Ireland in 2003 and mentions the Electoral Commission's inability to identify respondents who said they could not vote due to lack of ID.

Question

Will my hon. Friend join me in reminding the hon. Member for Lancaster and Fleetwood (Cat Smith) that it was Labour that first introduced voter identification, in Northern Ireland in 2003? The Electoral Commission was unable, in its 2021 public opinion tracker, to identify a single respondent who said they were unable to vote.

Answer from Dehenna Davison

My hon. Friend is absolutely right. He has made the case for why these measures are needed and will benefit our democracy.

Not addressed: Did not address whether there was evidence of impact on voter turnout in Northern Ireland or current concerns about similar effects.

How: Made The Case

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Q4 Alex Norris Labour (Co-op) Nottingham North and Kimberley
Democracy & Elections
Context

Concerns about the implementation of voter ID requirements at polling stations, particularly about greeters turning away those without correct ID and not logging refusals properly.

Question

I am told that some returning officers plan to use greeters at polling station entrances to check for proper identification. If people lack this ID, they will be turned away before reaching the main desk where refusals would normally be logged. This practice is illogical and could skew data for independent reviews of voter ID policies. Will the Minister commit today to correcting it?

Answer from Dehenna Davison

We know that about 98% of electors have the right identification. We are confident that local authorities' measures will ensure people have the correct ID and this will not reduce voter turnout.

Partly answered

Not addressed: Did not commit to ensuring proper logging or correcting implementation practices.

How: We Know That About 98% Of Electors Have The Right Identification, Confident That Local Authorities' Measures Will Ensure People Have The Correct Id

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