Police could be called to 'flare ups' at polling stations, a Manchester councillor has warned as voters are required to present identification at the ballot box for the first time this year. Labour councillor Pat Karney has predicted that some voters will be turned away at the local elections in May for failing to show ID.
It comes as new laws will require all voters to show photo ID at polling stations this year. Anyone who does not have a passport, driving licence or another acceptable form of identification can apply for a free voter ID document.
According to a new parliamentary report, it is estimated that up to 3.5m voters across the UK do not have an accepted form of ID. But, as of last week, just 291 people had applied for the Voter Authority Certificate in Manchester.
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Coun Karney described the national policy as a 'democratic disaster' and accused the government of trying to suppress voting in working class areas and among young people and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities. However, he also criticised the town hall for being 'quite slugglish' in communicating the new requirements to voters in the city.
Making comparisons to the USA where similar rules have been introduced, he urged Mancunians to 'fight back' and called on Manchester council to be more 'proactive'. He said: "I fear that with the ID ignorance in the city and the lack of knowledge about it, that there's going to be flare ups at polling stations and I think for the first time in this country, we'll see the police called to polling stations to sort situations out.
"People who've voted all their lives and know the protocol and then they turn up and then they're turned away. I do think this council has a duty to take that a bit more seriously."
The comments came at a scrutiny committee meeting on Tuesday (March 7) where councillors were told what is being done to tackle digital exclusion which is where a person does not have access to the internet or the skills and confidence to use it. According to a council report, there is likely to be a correlation between people who do not currently have ID and digitally excluded people.
Labour councillor John Hacking, who is the executive member for skills, employment and leisure at Manchester council, described the policy as a 'democratic outrage'. He said: "We should be really angry about it and we're not as angry as we should be."
City solicitor Fiona Ledden, whose responsibilities include running elections, said that the council is keen to make sure it has the best communications strategy. Neil MacInnes, who is the head of libraries, galleries and culture, said the council is looking at how it can proactively promote voter ID at libraries where staff are trained to advise residents as to what ID is acceptable.
Messages about voter ID and the importance of retaining the right to vote have featured on the council's social media channels, website and the monthly e-bulletin which goes out to tens of thousands of subscribers. A voter ID leaflet will also be included with every council tax bill sent out later this year.
Voter ID booklets have been translated into 20 languages covering the most requested languages across Greater Manchester. The council is also producing an animation to explain what voter ID is, how it works and what people need to do which will be issued shortly.
A Greater Manchester awareness campaign is being run to complement the national Electoral Commission campaign. Radio adverts should be starting this week, in addition to outdoor advertising campaigns such as on buses.
An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: "As the May elections approach, the electoral community is doing all it can to raise awareness so that voters understand what they need to bring to the polling station. Introducing a new requirement at elections is a big change and it will take time for the message to permeate.
"Our public awareness campaign has been running since mid-January and we are already seeing strong increases in awareness amongst voters. We know from voter registration campaigns that people are more likely to take action closer to deadlines, so we would expect to see applications spike as 25 April nears.
"But to ensure they are prepared, all voters should check now if they have an accepted form of ID, and if not, to apply for the free ID being made available – the Voter Authority Certificate. If there are voters in your family or friendship group that are unaware of the new rules, spread the word and help make sure everyone is ready for 4 May."
A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: "We want to ensure maximum participation in elections while protecting the integrity of ballot box. Figures show 99 pc of people from ethnic minority backgrounds and those aged 18-29 already have a form of acceptable identification, and we are actively supporting the very small proportion of people who may not.
“We expect even more people to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate as we near the date of elections. Photo identification has been used in Northern Ireland elections since 2003 and we’re working closely with the sector, charities and civil society to support the rollout."
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the local elections in England this May is 5pm on Tuesday, April 25, but you need to be registered to vote before youapply. Anyone with an accepted form of photo ID does not need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
For more information about applying in Manchester visit the council's website at www.manchester.gov.uk/voterIDsupport. Information is also at the Electoral Commission website: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id.
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