Verbal Presentation.
Minutes:
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager introduced the presentation.
· 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 Voter ID was required for parliamentary elections as well as Police and Crime Commission elections UK-wide. In England it will also apply to local elections, but not for Wales.
· 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 2% 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 is an A4 document and has 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.
· The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that the first elections that this would affect for Newport would be the upcoming PCC elections in May 2024 and added that there had been a considerable effort to make it clear what was needed from voters on the website.
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager highlighted some examples of what was accepted forms of ID and noted that the identification document you apply for on the website would be free of charge. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager informed the committee that the deadline for the IDs would be 5pm 6 working days prior to the poll and added that there would be clear communications circulated information people of this cut-off date. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that this did not need to be done for each vote and that the IDs themselves would be valid for 10 years.
A Community Councillor queried what an anonymous elector was.
- The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that this would be a person who for specific reasons could not have their details on an electoral register would still be able to vote.
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that there was the potential for confusion over what IDs are accepted and explained that the difference in the type of ID had come from the level of verification needed to obtain it originally and added that there was further information on the website. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that as well as applying through the portal there would be the option to come to the Civic Centre and an officer would facilitate your application. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that there was an importance on the photo being clear but noted that it was not as stringent as passport photo requirements.
A Community Councillor queried whether a buss pass would be acceptable.
- The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that it would depend on the type as some passes need stricter verification and those ones would be accepted.
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that information learnt from the England Elections had fed into plans for the next election and highlighted the importance on communication on social media and through community groups to ensure that there is not a disproportionate effect on marginalised groups. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that there would be some outreach work to promote this and informed the Community Council Representatives that they would be happy to come and give a talk at one of their meetings.
A Community Councillor queried whether they could assist people with their applications or whether they should be directed to the Council.
- The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that they would come up with the best plan of action and feed this back.
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that in the polling stations there would be a focus on accessibility and added there would be private areas available to those who request it to show their ID but noted that the only persons who should see an ID would be the Poll Clerk or the Presiding Officer. The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that the Polling Officer must not give a voting slip to those who’s IDs do not match and that the decision to refuse by the Poll Clerk would be final.
The Community Council Representatives showed concern that this may put people off signing up to be poll clerks.
- The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that the evidence from England had not shown a reluctance but that the training had to be clear to ensure that they felt supported.
A Community Council Representative queried whether this would affect postal votes.
- The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that this would be the case as the verification happens prior to the poll and noted this may be of use for those at work during the day.
The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager noted that there would be challenges to ensure that there was adequate communication to people in good time, issues around inequality, an increased financial burden as well as extra challenges faced by poll centre staff.
A Community Councillor noted that it may be beneficial for Polling Clerks to advise people with invalid ID what could be used so that they have an opportunity to come back and vote with the correct ID.
- The Democratic and Electoral Services Manager stated that this had happened in England but added that the issue would then be if that person did have valid ID elsewhere as it would be too late to apply for one at that stage.