Local authority leaders have asked voters to be patient with polling station staff today as they process voter ID changes.
The Local Government Association (LGA) said that councils were working ‘around the clock’ to deliver today’s local elections and reminded voters that the new voter ID requirements could mean queues.
‘We would urge members of the public to remember their photo ID when they come to vote and to be patient with hard working polling staff if there are queues, or the process takes a little longer than usual,’ said Cllr Kevin Bentley, chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board.
‘Many councils will be deploying additional staff to ensure queues are kept to a minimum and people can vote quickly and easily.’
Cllr Bentley added: ‘It is vital that the implementation of voter ID is rigorously and transparently evaluated to ensure that lessons are learned ahead of future elections. We will be working with councils to understand how the process worked on the ground.’
The Government argues that the voter ID law will discourage electoral fraud and improve the integrity of elections.
According to the Electoral Commission, however, there is ‘no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud.’
Of the 1,386 cases of alleged electoral fraud reported to police between 2018 and 2022, nine led to convictions and the police issued six cautions.
The Electoral Reform Society has branded the law an ‘expensive distraction’ and critics argue it is ‘a sledgehammer to crack a nut’.
There are also concerns that the impact of voter ID restrictions on some communities will remain hidden because of the way data is recorded.
