The Labour Party believes a U.K. government trial that will see voters asked for a driver’s license or passport at the ballot box could mean millions are prevented from exercising their democratic rights, according to a Guardian report Wednesday.
The government will trial voter ID requirements in 18 areas during local elections in 2018, in some areas asking for proof of address such as bills and in others for photo identification.
“Requiring voters to produce specific forms of photo ID risks denying millions of electors a vote,” said Cat Smith, Labourâs shadow minister for voter engagement. âA year ago the Electoral Commission reported that 3.5 million electors â 7.5 percent of the electorate â would have no acceptable piece of photo ID. Under the governmentâs proposals, these voters would either be denied a vote entirely, or in other trial areas, required to produce multiple pieces of ID.”
Smithâs comments echo those by former London Mayor Ken Livingstone, who said the proposal would hit the poorest hardest, according to the Guardian.
âThat, I suspect, like the decision last year to knock a lot of people off the electoral register, is going to hit the Labour Party,â he said.