UK Government urged to scrap voter ID requirements

The UK Government has been urged to scrap requirements for voters to prove their identity at polling stations – with an SNP minister at Holyrood branding the measure a “barrier to participation in the democratic process”.

Scottish parliamentary business minister Jamie Hepburn also voiced concerns that the requirements, introduced by the Conservatives, could deter some people from voting in future Holyrood and Scottish council elections, even though no identity requirements are in place in these ballots.

Mr Hepburn stressed the Scottish Government remains “strongly opposed” to requiring voters to show photo ID.

He voiced his concerns in a letter to UK democracy minister Rushanara Ali, telling her: “I continue to be concerned about the impact that the previous UK government’s introduction of voter ID has had on voters at UK general elections.”

He highlighted research by the Electoral Commission which found that 4% of people who said they did not vote in July’s general election said this was related to the voter ID requirement.

Mr Hepburn said: “This confirms the view expressed by the Scottish Government, and others at the time of the changes, that it did indeed discourage some people from voting.”

He also noted the commission had found that of those voters who went to their polling station to cast their ballot, 0.08% were unable to do so because of the ID requirement.

While Mr Hepburn accepted that “these numbers are small”, he insisted that “anyone losing a vote is of concern”, adding that “no one knows how many did not vote due to not having relevant ID”.

Scottish ministers “are left with a concern that if voters in the Scottish Parliament election in May 2026 have the impression that voter ID is required for that election (even though it is not), they may be discouraged from voting”, Mr Hepburn said.

He added that he has raised this with the Electoral Commission ahead of their public awareness campaigns in the run up to the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

But he told Ms Ali: “Of course, the best way of mitigating that particular concern and more fundamentally of removing those barriers to participation in the democratic process is for the voter ID requirements to be scrapped.

“I hope this is something you might consider proposing as a policy change to your colleagues in the UK Government.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “The vast majority of people cast their vote successfully at the general election in July and we are, as ever, grateful to returning officers and their teams for securely and successfully delivering the polls, as they always do.

“We are carefully reviewing the voter ID rules and evaluating how they impacted citizens during the general election.

“If changes to the voter ID policy are found to be necessary or appropriate, we will bring forward firm proposals in due course.”

Published: 17/11/2024 by Radio NewsHub