British voters will likely soon have to provide a valid photo ID to vote in future elections as a way to combat voter fraud.
“Showing identification to vote is a reasonable approach to combat the inexcusable potential for voter fraud in our current system and strengthen its integrity,” a spokesperson for the Cabinet Office said. “Evidence shows that voter identification does not impact turnout, and it has been operating in Northern Ireland with ease for decades. A broad range of photographic documents will be accepted, not just limited to passports and driver’s licenses. We have also been clear that a free voter card will be available if needed.”
British lawmakers are expected to unveil the new plan to require voter IDs during the Queen’s Speech, an annual event in which the government shares its priorities for the coming year to citizens in a speech delivered by the queen.
The plan comes at a time when similar laws are being debated in the United States, with former President Donald Trump’s election defeat last year sparking questions about potential fraud around the country.
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Georgia became the center of that controversy when it passed its new election security reform bill, which included voter ID provisions. Critics argued that the bill would disenfranchise poor and minority voters, and many major companies such as Coca-Cola, Delta Air Lines, and Major League Baseball voiced strong opposition to the measure.
A similar debate is now playing out in the United Kingdom, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson arguing that the new rules are necessary to protect against fraud. Meanwhile, critics worry that the new requirement will serve as a way to disenfranchise underserved voters.
“It’s illiberal. It’s an illiberal solution in pursuit of a nonexistent problem. If you’ve got an ID card, you’re putting a barrier in the way of people to exercise their own democratic rights, which is not necessary and shouldn’t be there,” said David Davis, a former senior minister of Parliament who opposes the plan.
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The Queen’s Speech will take place Tuesday.
