Fears over ‘show us your polling card’ experiment
TRIAL AIMING TO CRACK DOWN ON ELECTORAL FRAUD – BUT COULD IT DETER VOTERS?
VOTERS in part of Leicestershire will be told they cannot cast a ballot if they do not have their polling card, as part of a trial designed to prevent election fraud.
North West Leicestershire District Council has been selected by the Government to insist on voter identification when it holds its next election in May next year.
All registered voters are sent a polling card prior to polling day and are advised to take them to polling stations.
If they don’t, they can still vote if they provide polling station staff with a name and address on the electoral register.
For the North West Leicestershire trial, people will not be able to vote without a card, although council officials say they will look to find a way to reprint them on the day.
Concerns have been raised about the trial, with concerns it could put people off voting or disenfranchise them in elections with already low turnouts.
The authority said it had received no complaints of election fraud at the last district council election in 2015.
The leader of the council’s opposition Labour group, Councillor Sean Sheahan, said: “We know it is only a trial, but are they trying to solve a non-existent problem? I’m not aware of any issue in North West Leicestershire.
“There is always a risk of making it more difficult to vote, even if it is just producing a piece of card.”
Conservative council leader Councillor Richard Blunt said he did not have any views on the trial.
The council’s returning officer, Bev Smith, said: “We’re very pleased to be taking part in the voter ID pilot.
“It’s important that the Electoral Commission has good data on what works for the electorate before deciding on the best way to prevent electoral fraud in the UK.
“We have a great elections team in North West Leicestershire and are confident the pilot will work well.”
The Government says it will use the result of the trial and those held by 10 other councils to see how best to secure the voting process.
It says the trials will help show what methods of ID work best for voters and provide alternative methods of ID to individuals who do not have a specified form of ID, free of charge, ensuring everyone who is registered has the opportunity to vote.
At the last round of local elections in May, five authorities took part in the first round of voter ID pilots which are being run by the Cabinet Office. The Government says they were a success, with the overwhelming majority of people able to cast their vote without a problem.