[Politics] Is a Photo ID requirement for Voting a Good Idea?

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Is requiring a Photo ID in order to Vote a good idea?

  • Yes, it will cut down Election Fraud and improve how Elections are run

    Votes: 39 24.1%
  • No, There is no evidence that Election Fraud is an Issue and this is an unnecessary expense

    Votes: 102 63.0%
  • No, making Government issued Photo IDs mandatory for voting is an erosion of my Civil Liberties

    Votes: 49 30.2%
  • Yes, there is no evidence from other

    Votes: 7 4.3%
  • that voter ID deters certain people from voting

    Votes: 29 17.9%

  • Total voters
    162
  • Poll closed .








Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Have you ever tried getting somebody with dementia into a phone booth, align them within the camera limit, and them getting them to look at the screen and sit still long enough to get an acceptable photo.

I tried, but I couldn't do it.

So I can't renew her passport which is now out of date and her driving licence was revoked ages ago. None of those would be acceptable so what is another alternative option?
A bus pass.

There has literally been one conviction of voter fraud out of millions of votes.

As said before, an Oyster card is acceptable for pensioners but not for youngsters. Youngsters are more likely to vote for parties on the left.
 


zefarelly

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
21,957
Sussex, by the sea
As said before, an Oyster card is acceptable for pensioners but not for youngsters. Youngsters are more likely to vote for parties on the left.
Thats pretty obvious isn't it. My condiment supplier informs me 'when ze aussorities reject ze infidels' their votes will automatically go to the conservative party. 'Zis will maintain control of ze peasants and scum'
 


Rookie

Greetings
Feb 8, 2005
12,131
Some form of identity is a good idea. There can't be very many people if any at all without any.
Why is ID a good idea to vote? Do we have a severe case of voter fraud?
People are out off voting as it is, should be less obstacles rather than more
 




Coldeanseagull

Opinionated
Mar 13, 2013
7,843
Coldean
I'm surprised that anyone wouldn't want to move out of the middle ages and accept the necessity of being able to be identified....unless you have something to hide, of course, like being the spitting image of your passport photo :shrug:
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,899
Back in Sussex
Whilst not arguing for or against this, I'm not sure "there's very few cases of election fraud" is a valid reason for NOT doing it.

Just how would election fraud be detected currently?
 






Thunder Bolt

Silly old bat
Whilst not arguing for or against this, I'm not sure "there's very few cases of election fraud" is a valid reason for NOT doing it.

Just how would election fraud be detected currently?
A dead person voting? Electoral roll checked against death certificates.
 


halbpro

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2012
2,877
Brighton
Surely we should be looking at schemes that increase voter turnout, rather than reducing it. It's also gonna be absolute chaos in May, and I feel for the poll workers
 


Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,899
Back in Sussex
A dead person voting? Electoral roll checked against death certificates.
My next door neighbour telling me he can't be bothered to vote, so I pop down to the polling station and vote again in whichever direction I choose.

I'm not saying electoral fraud is a problem at all - I think it's perfectly reasonable to assume that it is very small scale. I'm just interested how anyone would have any definitive idea.
 




zefarelly

Well-known member
NSC Patron
Jul 7, 2003
21,957
Sussex, by the sea
They wouldn't and its wide open for a simpleton, like a tory mp, to abuse for their benefit.

there's no way of detecting how many votes came out of the minibus from the old peoples home . . .
 


deletebeepbeepbeep

Well-known member
May 12, 2009
21,059
My next door neighbour telling me he can't be bothered to vote, so I pop down to the polling station and vote again in whichever direction I choose.

I'm not saying electoral fraud is a problem at all - I think it's perfectly reasonable to assume that it is very small scale. I'm just interested how anyone would have any definitive idea.

In May 2021, elections took place across England, Wales and Scotland:
  • Scottish Parliament
  • Senedd Cymru
  • Police and Crime Commissioners (England and Wales)
  • Local councils and local mayors (England)
  • Combined Authority Mayors (England)
  • Mayor of London and London Assembly
Many of these polls had been postponed from 2020. There were also six UK parliamentary by-elections during 2021.


315 cases of alleged electoral fraud were investigated by the police during 2021. None of these cases led to a conviction. Police issued cautions in one case.
 








Bozza

You can change this
Helpful Moderator
Jul 4, 2003
55,899
Back in Sussex
I'm sorry - are you trying to answer my question, because that doesn't. Maybe I'm not being clear. I can easily look up official statistics, but I have no way of knowing where between 0% and 100% of electoral frauds that happen are detected and recorded.

Official statistics show that I've never been caught raiding my son's treat tin for chocolate but, and please don't tell him, it happens quite a lot.

(Again - I'm absolutely NOT making a case for photographic ID being a requirement, I just don't think anyone can say "electoral fraud isn't much of a problem" with any confidence at all. They may well be absolutely correct, but there's no way of knowing, is there?)
 


halbpro

Well-known member
Jan 25, 2012
2,877
Brighton
I'm sorry - are you trying to answer my question, because that doesn't. Maybe I'm not being clear. I can easily look up official statistics, but I have no way of knowing where between 0% and 100% of electoral frauds that happen are detected and recorded.

Official statistics show that I've never been caught raiding my son's treat tin for chocolate but, and please don't tell him, it happens quite a lot.

(Again - I'm absolutely NOT making a case for photographic ID being a requirement, I just don't think anyone can say "electoral fraud isn't much of a problem" with any confidence at all. They may well be absolutely correct, but there's no way of knowing, is there?)
You are making a strong case for needing photo ID to access your son's treat tin to be fair
 


deletebeepbeepbeep

Well-known member
May 12, 2009
21,059
This doesn't really go to the question of how it's detected though, only how much. Also over half of the cases are actually about issues in campaigning

From reading through the reports submitted on their page generally via reports from Polling station staff where they have suspected someone isn't who they say they are.
 




Giraffe

VERY part time moderator
Helpful Moderator
NSC Patron
Aug 8, 2005
26,645
When I first voted in my late teens I was astonished how easy it was. It is an honour to vote and you really should have to show your ID. The opportunity for individuals to vote more than once is massive. I’m not saying it has ever swayed an election but how would we know?

You use ID for far less important things than voting it seems very odd that we don’t already have this.

Finally if you don’t ID are you really part of our society? Are you paying taxes? Are you? I think if you don’t have ID 9 times out 10 you don’t deserve to have the vote I am afraid.
 




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