I doubt that you will find a single mainstream politician in the United Kingdom that won’t argue that elections should be fair and accessible for all voters. If the Westminster Government’s Elections Bill did this then I would support the bill enthusiastically but if one looks at the implications for Wales – then once again it shows that Westminster is simply not working for us.
One controversial aspect of the Bill is a requirement for voters to show an approved form of photographic ID to vote in elections for MPs and Police and Crime Commissioners. Whilst this measure does not apply to devolved elections, it may have an indirect effect and could supress voter turnout because legitimate voters could be turned away from voting in Senedd and local elections if they happen on the same day and they are not in possession of a photographic identification.
We shouldn’t be surprised that the Conservative Westminster Government is acting like this. They are also curbing the right of peaceful protest, they are removing human rights, they are attacking the BBC whilst we have a Prime Minister being caught telling lies time and time again.
In contrast, Wales has done things differently. We have enhanced the electoral process by allowing 16 and 17 year olds and foreign nationals the vote in Senedd and local elections. The dangers contained in the Elections Bill will turn the clock back on electoral reform, rather than move things forward.
The justification for this voting restriction is to clamp down on voter fraud according to Conservative cheerleaders, but if we look at the facts, we have one conviction of voter impersonation in 2017, none in 2018, and zero in 2019.
They are willing to disenfranchise millions of our own citizens to stop one instance of voter fraud. To use an old adage this is the perfect example of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut. There is no justification for this heavy-handed response.
Limiting and constricting voting will mean less people vote. It has proven time and time again in other countries.
When the UK Government tested voter ID pilots in 2019, more than 1,000 voters were turned away for not having the correct form of ID. Of those 1,000, as many as 338 voters did not return – equal to one-third of voters.
The question easily becomes, why? Why would the UK Government ignore this evidence.
In a time where turn-out for elections are low, with General Elections sitting at 60%, and Senedd elections struggling to reach above 50%, why would we want to limit people, and dissuade them from sharing their voices and their opinions with us?
This Bill effects everyone, but it’s undeniable that is affects the most vulnerable in our society much more disproportionately. The Electoral Commission found that 7.5% of the UK electorate did not have any form of photo ID, equal to 3.5 million.
A more recent Government commission from March 2021 found that 4% of people did not have any recognisable ID, equating to 2.1 million people.
American Civil Rights group have even condemned this Bill, arguing that it amounts to voter suppression and is a tactic often used by the Republican Party in the USA to disenfranchise voters from demographic groups which don’t support them.
Polling conducted by YouGov on behalf of #HandsOffOurVote found that 5% of people with a disability did not hold any of the accepted forms of photo ID, amounting to around half a million people.
Additional research by the Electoral Reform Society found that ethnic minority voters will be drastically impacted by this Bill. 38% of Asian voters, 31% of people of mixed ethnicity and 48% of Black citizens do not currently hold any form of photo ID according to the UK Government’s own data.
Numerous homeless charities have highlighted that casting their ballot is already much harder for homeless people, and this Bill will make it more difficult for them. From access to forms of identification to costs of application and replacement. Add to this the lack of digital access, which is often the only way to process an application, and no proof of address it makes it virtually impossible.
Transgender and nonbinary voters will also be effectively barred from casting their ballot. Stonewall UK found that 86% of respondents would face problems with their photo ID. 34% of respondents had issues having their photo ID accepted because the photo did not match their appearance, 32% because of the incorrect name and 20% because their gender did not match that of their ID.
In the debate today Plaid Cymru is calling on all MSs to support our motion, to oppose these measures and raise the valid concerns about the Elections Bill at every opportunity with the Westminster Government.
Rhys ab Owen is Plaid Cymru MS for South Wales Central
