None of the five English boroughs taking part in a controversial trial of compulsory voter ID in local elections on Thursday has experienced a single instance of polling station impersonation in the past decade. On 3 May, voters in Bromley, Woking and Gosport will have to show photo ID, or two items showing their address from a list of approved documents. The trial, introduced by the Cabinet Office, could lead to voter ID being extended across the country for future elections. Stuart Wilks-Heeg, an expert on electoral integrity at the University of Manchester, said the voter ID trial seemed to be “a solution in search of a problem”. So it is slightly mystifying that they’ve gone down this route.”Advocates of the change note that voter ID has been compulsory in Northern Ireland since 1985.

Source: The Guardian April 29, 2018 10:18 UTC