@ChrisMayLA6

However, part of the United Kingdom already has #voterID laws, which I don't hear much mention about or outcry over.

#NI in 2002 had The Electoral Fraud (Northern Ireland) Act
introduced which amended the Representation of the People Act 1983 which required all #NI voters to have photographic identification at polling stations.

So if it acceptable for us in #NI to have to produce ID, why isn't acceptable to the rest of the UK?

@Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

That is the problem right there. When it happens in England, there is uproar but when it's the other three nations - no-one is interested.

Maybe if those shouting about this, paid some attention how it is working in NI, then there could be a more reasoned debate.

So, if we are UK - then we all have the same voting laws or we don't. So bring the rest of the UK into line with #NI or remove the requirement from #NI

@jacqui76 @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

The myth-or-legend was that quite a lot of dead people used to vote in NI. This didn't happen in GB. It's not unreasonable to match the response to the observed threat.

@TimWardCam @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

There definitely was evidence of voter fraud in 1980's in NI. Many believed that Sinn Fein vote was affected more by that. However in 1983 for example 149 people arrested at polling stations, 104 were convicted.

Firstly think of the situation in NI at the time - why do think they may have wanted to discredit the British voting system - political statement? Also, was 104 convictions really that big of an opposed threat that required voter ID laws?

@jacqui76 @TimWardCam @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6 Bear in mind that 100-odd convictions in the NI population ~1 million was unlikely to throw the election, and is still 3-4 orders of magnitude higher(!) than the "problem" in GB in the 2017 and 2019 elections (on the order of 60M voters, single-digit convictions for voting fraud).

"Voter fraud" is dishonest—it's the rallying cry of factions who want to disenfranchise the electorate.

@cstross @TimWardCam @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

Just because you believe this law is being introduced to disenfranchise voters is not the same as it actually disenfranchising voters. No-one knows what will happen in GB until the election is over.

My suggestion running up to the local elections in May, use your platform to make as many people as possible, aware of the changes. Then direct them to the places they can acquire Voter ID to allow them to vote. Once the election takes place, if there is

@cstross @TimWardCam @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

Actual evidence of the Tories disenfranchising voters, then you will have the proof that you need. Then, you will know that voter ID isn't going to work. Then come up with suggestions on how to help secure the voting system if voter ID isn't it.

However, since it has been introduced in #ni confidence in our election process as continued to grow. 63% turn out at the last AE would show that #voterID isn't hindering people voting as much as you think.

@jacqui76 @cstross @TimWardCam @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

Jacqui, there already is evidence that the English voter ID requirements will affect turnout.

Government-commissioned research found that 2% of people don’t have any form of photo ID (including expired or unrecognisable) and 4% don’t have recognisable ID (roughly 2.1 million people) – making mandatory voter ID a barrier to many people exercising their right to vote.

This is supported by various US studies where ID was required to vote

@StingrayBadger @cstross @TimWardCam @Loukas @ChrisMayLA6

You can't compare the US system with UK system they aren't the same in my opinion.

I understand that research is carried out and normally does match what happens in the end.
However, no-ones actually knows what will until the voting takes place to say for definite.

From the areas in England were this idea was piloted, is there actual evidence to actually what happened in those elections were ID was required?