Voter Identification

– we need fairer ways for disabled people to prove who they are at polling stations.

My Vote My Voice believes that present criteria on voters’ photo identification should be revised to allow for alternative forms of identification to be accepted at polling stations, in recognition of the limited options practically available to disabled people.
The government’s own commissioned research found that disabled people were one of several cohorts in society – including those who had never voted before – were all less likely to hold any form of photo ID.
Interim research gathered by the Electoral Commission suggests disabled people found it harder to produce accepted photo ID at polling stations during the 2023 local elections.
We recommend that the Electoral Commission should renew its awareness-raising campaign on the Voter Authority Certificate during the lead-up to the next general election. By working closely with local authorities, social care providers, educators, and Disabled Persons’ Organisations, it should make a concentrated effort to reach disabled voters, particularly those in long-term social care and who live with profound needs.