A Government website allowing people to sign up for free voter ID is still not up and running with just months to go until May’s local elections in England.
Campaigners have warned that tens of thousands of people could be deprived of their right to vote amid the controversial rollout of voter ID laws.
The Electoral Commission began an “awareness” campaign on Monday in a bid to reach the millions of voters who are still unaware that they face being denied a vote unless they bring an official form of photo ID with them to the polls.
The requirement was introduced in the UK’s Government Elections Act last year and comes into effect for the first time in May.
Voters who do not have a recognised form of ID – likely to be upwards of two million people, according to the Government’s own research – only have until 25 April to get one or register for a free “Voter Authority Certificate”.
But the online Government system to obtain a certificate, which requires would-be voters to take and upload a “passport-style” photo, is still yet to launch.
Local councils are also able to issue the certificates in person or by post, but are concerned that there is not enough time to provide these to everyone that needs one in the run-up to the polls.
Jess Garland, director of policy for the Electoral Reform Society, told i that provision “could be patchy” across different council areas as differing protocols are put in place.
She added: “Our concern at the moment, is that we’re a little over 100 days away from the election, and the Government website is still not up. It’s all very, very close.”
The Local Government Association (LGA) said it remains concerned there is “insufficient time” for councils to get ready for the changes but it is now also too late to postpone the new rules.
LGA Chairman Cllr James Jamieson said: “We have concerns over the readiness of new IT systems, being able to properly test these and ensure staff receive training.
“In addition, new voter ID requirements will require comprehensive local awareness campaigns, which councils need to be adequately funded for to tailor awareness raising efforts with the needs of their local population.”
There are concerns that people without ID, who usually come from more marginalised and harder-to-reach communities, and elderly people, who may not have access to the internet, may struggle to obtain their voter certificates in time.
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Electoral Commission guidance for transgender and non-binary voters published on Monday suggests that they could face being turned away if they bring old IDs that do not recognisably reflect their current appearance.
“If you aren’t sure whether you still look like the photo on your ID, you should apply for a Voter Authority Certificate,” the guidance warns.
A spokesperson for the Electoral Commission told i: “Voters must be recognisable from the photo ID they present at the polling station. If someone feels worried about using an existing form of ID which has a gender marker, or isn’t sure whether they still look like the photo on their ID, they should apply for the free ID. The certificate does not have a gender marker.”
Ms Garland added: “The statistics, particularly for that group, for how many people are not going to have the ID and then have to take that extra step is is quite shocking.”
She said that “low income voters, homeless voters, so many different groups across society”, who are much less likely to have existing photo IDs will also face extra hurdles before polling day, adding: “The real risk here is we’re creating this huge inequality in who’s able to access their vote.”
Campaign group TransActual UK noted the large amount of evidence that voter ID schemes elsewhere “disadvantage members of minorities and less privileged social groups, and that will be of particular concern to trans and non-binary people, for whom personal ID is already an issue”.
The group’s director jane fae (who asked i to spell her name in lower case letters) said there were reasons “both personal and systemic, which impact why a trans person might not have photo ID at any moment in time”.
Supposedly bespoke Electoral Commission guidance for other affected groups – including older people, the homeless, and Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities, appeared largely similar.
The guide for older people encourages them to “scan a QR code” for more information, and suggests they take and upload a photo to the online system if they cannot apply in person, while the guide for homeless people references getting a ballot paper in the post and updating the electoral register “if you have recently moved to a different address”.
Age UK charity director Caroline Abrahams told i: “Some older people won’t hold an accepted form of voter ID and might struggle to access the free voter ID proposed by the Government.
“While some older people will be able to apply digitally for a voter ID card, many older people are not able to access the internet, meaning that those with limited mobility or a lack of transport options may struggle to access application forms or get their photo taken in time.
“There is little time before the May elections and we strongly encourage local authorities to make sure that offline guidance and support is available for those who don’t use the internet and want to find out more about voter ID.”
In many US states with voter ID laws, people who arrive at the polls without ID are able to cast a provisional ballot that can be validated later – but there will be no such allowance under the new rules in England, Scotland and Wales.
Ms Garland added: “Lots of people have raised concerns about it, and those concerns weren’t heeded, and out of a whole range of options of ways of introducing this, the Government takes possibly the strictest format.”
Mark Kieran, of Open Britain, a democracy campaign group, claimed the Government is “setting up our elections to fail” and risks “disenfranchising millions of voters through its own mismanagement”.
He added: “A badly botched rollout of these new rules risks significantly undermining them.”
Tom Brake, of Unlock Democracy, added: “The Government needs to get a grip over this policy or risk causing unnecessary chaos at polling stations across the country when millions turn out to vote in May.
“Ministers must provide the necessary funding to local authorities to guarantee that the public is given proper time to acquire the necessary ID and that no voter is turned away from the ballot box. If they fail to do this the integrity of our elections is at serious risk.”
The Electoral Commission said: “We know from research that the vast majority of people already have ID, and that only a small minority don’t currently hold an accepted form of ID. For those voters, it is important that the free ID application system allows them to apply and receive their ID in good time before the May elections.
“We expect the system to be launched by the UK government next week.”
A Government spokesperson told i: “We cannot be complacent when it comes to ensuring our democracy remains secure.
“The Electoral Commission is running an awareness campaign precisely so everyone knows a free voter certificate is available. We are actively supporting the very small proportion of people who may not have up to date identification.
“Photo identification has been used in Northern Ireland elections since 2003 and we’re working closely with the sector to support the rollout and funding the necessary equipment and staffing.”