Commons Sense

House of Commons · Ministers' Questions

Voter ID: National Elections

Thursday 20 July 2023 · 2 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 2 Not answered 0

Key points

  • The Committee discussed the Electoral Commission's work on supporting voter ID at its public evidence session in March.
  • The commission published an interim analysis showing 14,000 people were turned away due to ID restrictions.
  • The Electoral Commission is undertaking further research and will make recommendations in its full election report due in September.

Topics (select to filter)

Questions & Answers

Q1 Martyn Day SNP
Democracy & Elections
Context

The Electoral Commission's work on voter ID implementation was discussed at a public evidence session in March, and the commission published an interim analysis of voter ID's impact during May local elections.

Question

What recent discussions has the Committee had with the Electoral Commission regarding the adequacy of voter ID implementation for national elections? The committee met to discuss this issue, and a transcript is available online.

Answer from Owen Thompson

The Committee discussed the Electoral Commission's work on supporting voter ID at its public evidence session in March. The commission published an interim analysis showing 14,000 people were turned away due to ID restrictions and warned of disproportionate effects on disabled individuals, unemployed persons, and certain ethnic groups. However, it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about these impacts.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific steps being taken to prevent disenfranchisement in future elections were not addressed.

How: It Is Too Soon To Draw Conclusions

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Q2 Martyn Day SNP
Democracy & Elections
Context

The Electoral Commission's interim report highlighted that around 4% of non-voters cited lack of voter ID as a reason, and it noted concerning signs about the disproportionate impact on specific demographic groups.

Question

Given that 14,000 people were turned away due to voter ID restrictions in England, and considering data indicating higher non-voting rates among disabled individuals, unemployed persons, and certain ethnic groups, what concrete steps are being taken by the government to ensure hundreds of thousands of voters will not be disenfranchised at the next general election?

Answer from Owen Thompson

The Electoral Commission is undertaking further research and will make recommendations in its full election report due in September. It aims to build a better understanding of the experiences of different groups affected by voter ID requirements, but it is too early to draw definitive conclusions about the impact.

Partly answered

Not addressed: The specific measures being taken were not detailed.

How: It Is Too Soon To Draw Conclusions, Working To Build A Better Understanding

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