Faced with the national rollout of voter ID, electoral administrators have said they are not convinced they can deliver a successful general election if one is called before January 2025.
A report published today by the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) says that while voter ID was implemented without significant visible problems in the May local elections, the national rollout presents a risk to the proper, legal delivery of the next general election.
A higher voter turnout adds to the risk, as does the lack of experience managing voter ID in Scotland, Wales and several areas across England, including London, the LGiU said.
Administrators have warned that they may not be able service the greater demand for voter authority certificates, a new form of free photo ID for UK elections, that could come with a higher turnout.
Recruiting polling station staff was reported as a problem by 88% of electoral administrators surveyed in the report, with 82% saying that voter ID had made the recruitment and retention of staff more difficult.
If the Government does not increase recruitment funding, the report concludes, administrators believe they will either fail to find enough people to work at elections, or local authorities will have to find a way to pay staff more.
LGiU chief executive Jonathan Carr-West said: ‘With a general election on the horizon, it is particularly important that electoral administrators have the resources they need to make elections happen.
‘This doesn’t mean providing them with the bare minimum and ensuring that their dedication to the role means they fill any gaps with their goodwill.
‘It means making sure that elections are treated as part of the critical infrastructure of the United Kingdom and that risks to election delivery are taken seriously and electoral administrators are listened to.’
