Row erupts over voter photo ID requirement as concerns raised ahead of local elections in Sunderland

Voters are set to go to the polls on Thursday May 4 to vote on the ward councillors who will form the city’s Council, and for the first time residents will be asked to show “accepted” photograph ID which will include passports, driving licence, disability blue badges and bus passes as well as an older person’s bus pass.

The new regulation has been introduced following concerns from the Government over voter fraud with the potential for people to vote under a different person’s name.

However Washington and Sunderland West Labour MP Sharon Hodgson feels the new requirement will be prohibitive to some voters and could adversely affect voter turnout and overall results.

The Labour Party have cited there are “approximately two million people in the UK do not possess a passport, driving licence, or other form of photo identification required under the Tory Government’s new voting regulations”.

Ms Hodgson added: “The Tories, through their despicable Voter ID reforms, are introducing a new hurdle which threatens the voting rights of people in Sunderland and across the country.”

However Barnes Ward Conservative councillor, Antony Mullen, highlighted his own experience of voter misrepresentation as evidence of the need for the new legislation to be introduced.

He said: "Voter ID is already required for elections conducted in some parts of the United Kingdom - and now it is required in Sunderland too.

"I am aware of a situation in Sunderland in which a resident went to vote and was told he could not, only to discover later that his son - who was not registered to vote at all - had been and voted using his father's name.

"These instances may occur on a small scale, but nobody should be denied their right to vote through fraud and, equally, nobody who is not entitled to vote should be able to abuse the electoral process so easily.”

Cllr Mullen also cited the option of a postal vote – for which no photo ID is required – but for those who have not already registered, this option expired at 5pm on Tuesday April 18.

The leader of the Sunderland Conservative Group also highlighted the option of applying for a free Voter Authority Certificate which registers voters without the need for photographic ID. The deadline to apply for a certificate is 5pm on Tuesday April 25.

Cllr Mullen added: "The advertising campaign to highlight that free ID is available via the Council has been running for an extended period of time, and the Returning Officer wrote to all residents in the city highlighting that those without ID could switch to a postal vote – for which a signature is required instead of photo ID - so nobody has been disenfranchised as a result of these new security measures."

However Ms Hodgson feels the “mainly online” application process is a further barrier to voter turnout for older demographics and the digitally disadvantaged and the Labour Party cited the Governments own official impact assessment which stated “approximately 29% of those who lack photo ID would probably or definitely not apply for the Voter Authority Certificate”.

Ms Hodgson said: “The deadline to apply for the free voter ID is fast approaching, and anyone that needs it should get their application in as soon as they can.

"This disenfranchisement will disproportionately affect poor and marginalised people. Our best defence is to spread awareness and encourage our friends and family to apply as soon as they can.”

It’s sentiment shared by Liberal Democract councillor for Grindon, Hastings Hill, Springwell and Thorney Close, Paul Edgeworth who said: “The Lib Dems believe that voter ID regulations are nothing short of voter suppression and that these unsavoury tactics have no place in British democracy.”

SEE ALSO: Dog beach bans returning to Sunderland - what you need to know to avoid a £100 fine

However Cllr Edgeworth also questioned why Labour are raising the issue now rather than when they “had the chance to vote on the new legislation” before it was passed in December 2022.

He added: “Sharon Hodgson and Labour had a chance to stop this when a vote to kill off these regulations was called by the Lib Dems in the House of Lords. The Labour party abstained on the vote, and as a direct result the regulations bringing in these voter ID requirements were passed.”

It’s a sentiment shared by fellow Lib Dem Councillor Niall Hodson who added: “We should be making it as easy as possible for people to vote and anything which makes this more difficult is something we should avoid. Labour missed the opportunity to prevent this regulation being introduced when they abstained from voting in the House of Lords.”

Both the Labour and Lib Dem parties have also questioned the weight of evidence of fraudulent voter activity as justifying the need for the introduction of the new legislation.

Since 2018, there have been 1,386 cases of alleged electoral fraud reported to the police, according to the Electoral Commission. These led to nine convictions and six police cautions.

Other forms of photo ID which will be accepted on polling day are identity cards bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram, Oyster 60+ cards funded by the Government, a biometric immigration document, Ministry of Defence ID card, and an identity card issued by a European Economic Area state.