Voted in the local elections and can’t shake the feeling of shame and resentment at the photo id requirement. Shame at participating in an evidently cynical attempt to disenfranchise voters under 60 without a valid passport or driving licence. Resentment at the pretence that there was even a problem - ThreadSky

jntod.bsky.social • 311 days ago

Voted in the local elections and can’t shake the feeling of shame and resentment at the photo id requirement. Shame at participating in an evidently cynical attempt to disenfranchise voters under 60 without a valid passport or driving licence. Resentment at the pretence that there was even a problem

Comments

strife3025.bsky.social•311 days ago

In Northern Ireland you can get a photographic electoral card that specifically is for voting. I assumed to was a UK wide thing but never thought about it till now

strife3025.bsky.social•311 days ago

Opps shpuld have read the other comments first, sorry!

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

In the rest of the UK it's a Voter Authority Certificate, but they aren't very well publicised and most people aren't aware they even exist.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate

bunnicage.bsky.social•311 days ago

i dont really know how to feel about it, honestly

valid ID has been a requirement for voting for a while here, and the rules are actually more strict than what they ask for in this post, but our voter participation is at 82%

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/may/02/minister-sorry-as-veterans-find-id-card-not-valid-for-english-elections

drjamesjteeth.bsky.social•311 days ago

Lots of senior related IDs, but I seem to have missed a student ID in the list.

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

Student IDs are usually issued by schools and colleges, not directly from the government, and so wouldn't usually be accepted for government purposes.

Having said that, any student union who are part of the PASS age verification scheme and have the hologram on their ID cards should still be valid.

christopheleroy.bsky.social•311 days ago

Hard to believe the UK doesn't have enough deterent of voting fraud with its so many CCTV cameras

charliemic.bsky.social•311 days ago

Same. Same.

I was probably never going to swing right, but I do think at least it's a reminder every cycle about these bellends and their voter suppression. Long may people remember it.

landmoose.bsky.social•311 days ago

My province issues a photo ID card if you do not wish to or cannot drive. It's very easy to get, and very cheap (and free for age 65+). The only reason not to offer this service is deliberate disenfranchisement

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

There are free Voter Authority Certificates available in the UK too for people who have no other forms of photographic ID available.

The government just hasn't told anyone about them.

https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate

velfille.bsky.social•311 days ago

not sure what to do with all my bubbling fury as keen to avoid a stroke.

cassofthetoferati.bsky.social•311 days ago

Bearing in mind more Tory MPs have been charged with sexual offences than people have been charged with electoral fraud

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

And if you add financial fraud numbers too, the electoral fraud becomes a statistical irrelevance.

dymvue.bsky.social•311 days ago

Or those over 60 who are unused to having to carry any form of ID or have forgotten to bring it with them.

sylvia-suffragette.bsky.social•311 days ago

I’m surprised they allow disability based ID in light of their proposed disability reforms.

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

They need disabled people to be registered, so they know who to come for once the reforms are passed.

sylvia-suffragette.bsky.social•311 days ago

Excellent point. I was confused and thinking they were just stupid. I forgot the devious part

john-self.bsky.social•311 days ago

Only thing I will say about this is that it brings the rest of the UK into line with Northern Ireland, where photo ID has been required since 2002. Though arguably there was a problem here:

jntod.bsky.social•311 days ago

Right... But it looks as though NI has something called an Electoral Identity Card which the rest of the UK doesn't? And it's not as though recent governments have generally been driven by the desire for administrative alignment with Belfast.

casuallychaotic.bsky.social•311 days ago

There is the Voter Authority Certificate, which people can apply for in the rest of the UK if they have no other valid form of ID..?

realphantomhours.bsky.social•311 days ago

Northern Ireland has had a form of Voter ID for a long time, but it was all slips and stamps and dedicated cards I believe. It's complicated and there's history to it of course. If I'm not mistaken it was mostly "Prove you live in NI and are over voting age.". Could be mistaken, I vote in ROI.

Comments

Posting Rules

Reply