Ward elections in North East Lincolnshire are just days away and with the general election within the next nine months, the criticisms surrounding voter ID have never been more important. 

 

With 185 electoral related offences reported in 2022, the majority of which were campaign related with no action taken, and not a single proven case of in-person voter impersonation, the government introduced the voter ID scheme. 

 

While the government claims the law will protect people from having their vote stolen, critics argue it tackles a problem unknown in Britain, with the Electoral Commission warning of a disproportionate effect on young people, people from ethnic backgrounds, deprived areas and those with disabilities. 

 

There is already a widening turnout gap for 25–34-year-olds, with voter turnout dropping from 70-80% in 1997 to below 60% today. This alongside the divide between homeowning millennials, 70% of whom reported voting in 2019, and non-homeowning millennials, of which only 41% reported voting, shows a dangerous trend of worsening trust in government and the electoral process. 

 

This is especially concerning for young voters as it is proven those who don’t vote in the first election they are eligible for are less likely to vote in future elections. 

 

Studies based on the May 2023 byelections also show that a higher proportion of people were turned away from polls due to voter ID restrictions in deprived areas than in prosperous areas, and with North East Lincolnshire ranking the 16th most deprived area in the UK, more and more already vulnerable people in Grimsby are being driven away from the democratic process. 

 

It's not just those in deprived areas that now face a barrier to voting; young voters from ethnic minority backgrounds are five times more likely to be unable to vote because of the new laws, 9% of those with disabilities didn’t vote in the latest by-elections due to the voter ID requirements and LGBTQ+ people are three times more likely to not possess the correct photo ID for voting. 

 

The House of Lords attempted to widen the accepted forms of ID, arguing the student equivalent of transport cards, like the 18+ Oyster card, should be allowed as over 60s transport cards already were, but this move was blocked by the government, worryingly showing the exclusion of younger left leaning voters in favour of older, typically conservative, voters. 

 

The government does offer Voter Authority Certificates to those without the necessary ID but out of the estimated 2 million adults who lack the necessary documentation, only 6% of applicants were under 25. 

 

During the May 2023 byelections 4% said they didn’t vote specifically because of voter ID. If during the upcoming general election this figure rose to 5%, 800,000 people would be excluded from voting. We need to widen the accepted forms of photo ID to prevent people already susceptible to not voting from being excluded during the electoral process, giving everyone a fair chance in voting in future elections.