Barbados Times

Barbados, Caribbean & World News
Friday, Nov 08, 2024

One in 18 applications for government voter IDs rejected by councils

One in 18 applications for government voter IDs rejected by councils

Some councils are rejecting up to 15 per cent of applications for the new voter authority certificate, an investigation has shown.

The local elections taking place in England on Thursday will require a form of ID to cast a vote for the first time – but one in 18 applications for the government’s free form of voter ID have been rejected.

There are around 2 million people without photographic ID, and of those around 86,000 have applied for the new certificate, research by The Big Issue has found.

However data obtained through Freedom of Information requests found there have been hundreds of rejected applications, with one local authority rejecting more than a quarter of the applications it received.

Tom Brake, a former Liberal Democrat MP who is now director of Unlock Democracy, said: ‘This investigative work confirms that the photo voter ID story is even worse than expected.

‘We already knew the take up of the government’s alternative photo voter ID scheme was appallingly low.

‘Now we also know that for those who did apply, a relatively high percentage have had their applications rejected.

‘With council election results often hanging on a handful of votes, it is unavoidable not only that the introduction of photo voter ID will depress turnout, but also distort election results.’

76 out of the 230 councils holding elections on Thursday responded to FOI requests and provided data on 16,000 applications – about one in six of the total submitted.

Overall, 889 applications, or 5.55%, were rejected, however the rejections were unevenly spread with some councils not rejecting a single application while others rejected around one in six.

Passports are one form of acceptable ID


Issues with photographs, not being registered to vote in the first place, or not submitting their national insurance numbers were the most common reasons for rejection.

However, while a photo ID or certificate is required to vote in person at the local elections, those voting by post or proxy don’t need to provide any ID.

The Electoral Reform Society calls the findings ‘deeply concerning’, with Jess Garland from the group adding: ‘For many voters who lack photographic ID the voter authority certificate is their only route to being able to cast a vote in this week’s elections.

‘To find that the application process has such a high rate of rejection in some areas is deeply concerning.

‘With the government putting so many hurdles up between voters and the ballot box, it’s clear that these new voter ID rules remain a threat to democratic participation and free and fair elections.’

And Labour leader Sir Kier Starmer said it was the government’s responsibility to make sure voters know about changes to ID requirements ahead of the local elections.

Kier Starmer says the onus is on the government to make sure everybody knows about the voter ID rule changes


He told broadcasters: ‘I want every single person who is eligible to vote to be able to vote tomorrow.

‘And if anybody turns up to vote without the ID because the government has not got the message through to them that they have changed the law – a really big change in our election law – then that is an indictment on the government and they bear responsibility.

‘I don’t want to see anybody turning up not knowing that they needed ID, because the government bore full responsibility for making sure that everybody who can vote knows they have got to bring that ID.

‘We will be watching very carefully tomorrow to see where responsibility lies.

‘A government that changes the law on ID has a heavy responsibility to make sure every single person knows that they have got to bring ID.’

The Local Government Association said councils have a responsibility to make sure the introduction of voter ID was done ‘rigorously’.

A spokesman said: ‘Councils are working around the clock to deliver the local elections and the new voter ID requirements, which is the biggest change to in-person voting in 150 years.

‘There are many reasons a voter authority certificate could be rejected and councils assess each application based on the guidance they have been given by the Electoral Commission.

‘As well as this, we are aware that some applications have been made by postal voters who do not require voter ID and so have been withdrawn.

‘It is vital that the implementation of voter ID, including the certificate application process, is rigorously and transparently evaluated to ensure that lessons are learned ahead of future elections.’

Newsletter

Related Articles

Barbados Times
0:00
0:00
Close
Paper straws found to contain long-lasting and potentially toxic chemicals - study
FTX's Bankman-Fried headed for jail after judge revokes bail
Blackrock gets half a trillion dollar deal to rebuild Ukraine
Israel: Unprecedented Civil Disobedience Looms as IDF Reservists Protest Judiciary Reform
America's First New Nuclear Reactor in Nearly Seven Years Begins Operations
Southeast Asia moves closer to economic unity with new regional payments system
Today Hunter Biden’s best friend and business associate, Devon Archer, testified that Joe Biden met in Georgetown with Russian Moscow Mayor's Wife Yelena Baturina who later paid Hunter Biden $3.5 million in so called “consulting fees”
Singapore Carries Out First Execution of a Woman in Two Decades Amid Capital Punishment Debate
Google testing journalism AI. We are doing it already 2 years, and without Google biased propoganda and manipulated censorship
Unlike illegal imigrants coming by boats - US Citizens Will Need Visa To Travel To Europe in 2024
Musk announces Twitter name and logo change to X.com
The politician and the journalist lost control and started fighting on live broadcast.
The future of sports
Unveiling the Black Hole: The Mysterious Fate of EU's Aid to Ukraine
Farewell to a Music Titan: Tony Bennett, Renowned Jazz and Pop Vocalist, Passes Away at 96
Alarming Behavior Among Florida's Sharks Raises Concerns Over Possible Cocaine Exposure
Transgender Exclusion in Miss Italy Stirs Controversy Amidst Changing Global Beauty Pageant Landscape
Joe Biden admitted, in his own words, that he delivered what he promised in exchange for the $10 million bribe he received from the Ukraine Oil Company.
TikTok Takes On Spotify And Apple, Launches Own Music Service
Global Trend: Using Anti-Fake News Laws as Censorship Tools - A Deep Dive into Tunisia's Scenario
Arresting Putin During South African Visit Would Equate to War Declaration, Asserts President Ramaphosa
Hacktivist Collective Anonymous Launches 'Project Disclosure' to Unearth Information on UFOs and ETIs
Typo sends millions of US military emails to Russian ally Mali
Server Arrested For Theft After Refusing To Pay A Table's $100 Restaurant Bill When They Dined & Dashed
The Changing Face of Europe: How Mass Migration is Reshaping the Political Landscape
China Urges EU to Clarify Strategic Partnership Amid Trade Tensions
Europe is boiling: Extreme Weather Conditions Prevail Across the Continent
The Last Pour: Anchor Brewing, America's Pioneer Craft Brewer, Closes After 127 Years
Democracy not: EU's Digital Commissioner Considers Shutting Down Social Media Platforms Amid Social Unrest
Sarah Silverman and Renowned Authors Lodge Copyright Infringement Case Against OpenAI and Meta
Italian Court's Controversial Ruling on Sexual Harassment Ignites Uproar
Why Do Tech Executives Support Kennedy Jr.?
The New York Times Announces Closure of its Sports Section in Favor of The Athletic
BBC Anchor Huw Edwards Hospitalized Amid Child Sex Abuse Allegations, Family Confirms
Florida Attorney General requests Meta CEO's testimony on company's platforms' alleged facilitation of illicit activities
The Distorted Mirror of actual approval ratings: Examining the True Threat to Democracy Beyond the Persona of Putin
40,000 child slaves in Congo are forced to work in cobalt mines so we can drive electric cars.
BBC Personalities Rebuke Accusations Amidst Scandal Involving Teen Exploitation
A Swift Disappointment: Why Is Taylor Swift Bypassing Canada on Her Global Tour?
Historic Moment: Edgars Rinkevics, EU's First Openly Gay Head of State, Takes Office as Latvia's President
Bye bye democracy, human rights, freedom: French Cops Can Now Secretly Activate Phone Cameras, Microphones And GPS To Spy On Citizens
The Poor Man With Money, Mark Zuckerberg, Unveils Twitter Replica with Heavy-Handed Censorship: A New Low in Innovation?
Unilever Plummets in a $2.5 Billion Free Fall, to begin with: A Reckoning for Misuse of Corporate Power Against National Interest
Beyond the Blame Game: The Need for Nuanced Perspectives on America's Complex Reality
Twitter Targets Meta: A Tangle of Trade Secrets and Copycat Culture
The Double-Edged Sword of AI: AI is linked to layoffs in industry that created it
US Sanctions on China's Chip Industry Backfire, Prompting Self-Inflicted Blowback
Meta Copy Twitter with New App, Threads
The New French Revolution
BlackRock Bitcoin ETF Application Refiled, Naming Coinbase as ‘Surveillance-Sharing’ Partner
×