Add your name: One voter turned away is one too many

The government's voter ID scheme risks the very principle of free and fair elections. Over 2 million people lack photo ID in the UK, and these undemocratic plans risk blocking them from the ballot box. One voter being turned away from a single polling station is one too many.

Nobody should be turned away because their driving licence is still in their maiden name, or a poll worker thinks they don't look like an old passport photo.

With no right to appeal, the UK now has a more restrictive ID regime than many US states. We can't risk voter ID in the next general election.

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Possession of photo ID is uneven in the UK, with those short on time and money less likely to have the required paperwork. This law will make it harder for those already having a tough time to have their say.

The government trialled this policy ID during the 2018 and 2019 English local elections in a handful of local authorities. Even with public information campaigns, over 1,000 voters were refused a ballot for not having the right paperwork. The government now want to roll out this scheme to everyone for the May 2023 local elections.

There is a reason groups as wide ranging as the Salvation Army to Stonewall, Age UK and racial equality organisations oppose these plans: they will impact some people more than others and pull up the drawbridge to people across the country.