Presentation from the Democratic and Electoral Services Manager
Minutes:
This item was presented by the Democratic and Electoral Services Manager.
· The Elections Act 2022 had brought about some key changes with the biggest of those being the introduction of Voter ID as well as changes in other areas such as EU voters and those overseas. However, the focus of the presentation was on that of Voter ID.
· The purpose of Voter ID was to reduce the risk of voter fraud as well as make the electoral process fairer. The Voter ID will also prevent the electoral offence know as personation but there has been some criticism in relation to voter ID making it harder for some to vote.
· From 4th May 2023 the rules will apply to parliamentary elections as well as Police and Crime Commission elections.
· In England it will also apply to local elections and referendums
· From the 5th of October 2023 Voter ID will also apply to General Elections
· There are 23 accepted forms of accepted ID include Passports and driving licenses, these can be expired if there is a likeness.
· If a person does not have a valid ID, they are still able to apply for Voter ID.
· Voter ID will be provided free from the Electoral Register Office and through research it was expected around 5% of voters will need Voter ID.
· In Wales Voter ID was not being publicised yet but in England it has been publicised due to it taking effect on Elections within England first.
· The Application can either be done online or be supported in person.
· A centralised fulfilment centre currently exists however this could move to a more local scale in the future.
· The physical Voter ID will be an A4 document and will have some security measures such as those used within legal currency
· The Electoral Commission will publicise the need for the Voter ID before the voting is scheduled to take place as well as providing materials to local councils in order for them to distribute to residents
· Polling stations must have a space in order for people to show their Voter ID in private, funding for any materials needed for this space will be provided
· The Presiding Officer within the polling station has the right to refuse a voter if they don’t have valid ID, or if they feel the ID provided is not legitimate. The decision to refuse is final, however these refusals can be subject to a review.
· There will be challenges such as raising awareness in order for the residents to have adequate time to get their Voter ID
· The Electoral Commission is focused on making sure no communities are disenfranchised
· Funding will be available in April 2023 and April 2024.
Questions:
A Committee Member queried how many cases of election fraud were reported in Newport.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager confirmed that there were 266 cases reported UK wide when the last national figures were published. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager could not confirm if there were any in Newport.
A Committee Member asked what would happen if there were to be a Snap Election.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager noted that the risk had been considered and that measures have been taken to prepare for such an event.
A Committee Member questioned whether the photo on the Voter ID would be the same quality as other forms of Photo ID.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager highlighted that the key requirement was that the photo showed a likeness to the person.
A Committee Member queried that due to the process of applying for Voter ID being online, why couldn’t the resident be emailed the ID.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager explained that the document will be a physical document, with specific rules around how it is replaced. A person can apply for voter ID as early as they want however there will be guidelines on how close to an election a person may apply for one.
A Committee Member requested that the Committee received the PowerPoint slides.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager confirmed they would be sent out to all members of the Committee.
A Committee Member noted that the deadline for registering before an election was 5pm 6 days before, and questioned whether the DWP would be able to meet the demand of verifying Voter ID.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager highlighted that due to England undertaking the use of Voter ID first, that this would give indicator of any issues.
The Chair asked if a person has no form of ID how would they register.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager noted that a person needed to be on the Electoral Register as well as highlighting that there would be a national database that was checked to confirm the person is who they say they are.
The Chair highlighted that he felt the passport system of being able to take photos in booths and uploading them via a code would be better suited for gaining the photo aspect of the photo ID
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager affirmed that the England elections would give information regarding successes and drawbacks.
The Chair highlighted that there may be confusion due to some elections requiring Voter ID and some not.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager noted that these concerns have been fed back into the consultation.
A Committee Member raised that the issues should be directed through the appropriate channels
The Chair highlighted that with Wales having some elections with Voter ID and some without that it may lead to confusion.
A Committee Member asked whether there was a process to see if residents were deterred from voting due to the Voter ID.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager detailed that this would be heavily scrutinised.
A Committee Member queried the impact on postal votes.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manage confirmed that postal vote signatures would be updated more frequently but that no ID would be needed to vote by post.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager clarified by explaining that the postal vote system as a whole would remain the same
A Committee Member asked for clarity regarding the timescales for signature renewal of postal votes.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager confirmed that they would provide the Committee with a response in relation to the specific time gaps for renewal.
The Chair queried the length of the renewal period for postal votes.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager confirmed that there may be 2 concurrent postal vote periods.
A Committee Member questioned whether political candidates could support residents in their Voter ID applications.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the Committee that they would confirm a response on that matter.
A Committee Member asked whether those without an address could vote.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the member that there were measures in place to support those who were homeless being eligible to vote.
A Committee Member asked who came up with the guidance.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the Committee that it was created by various bodies.
A Committee Member noted that training may be needed for members, and another Committee Member highlighted that Newport had the lowest interest in voting.
A Committee Member asked whether there had been much research into whether it had deterred voters.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager confirmed that the Committee would receive a response on what research had been done on this topic.