Voters will need to show photo ID at polling stations from 2023

Voters are set to have to show photographic ID in order to vote at polling stations from 2023 in a bid to crack down on fraud. 

The new plans will be set out in a new Electoral Integrity Bill which will be announced in the Queen’s speech in spring in a bid to get rid of electoral fraud. 

Library cards, driving licences and passports will be accepted under the new system, differing from now when voters simply state their name and address. 

Those without a form of photographic ID will have to get in touch with their local council who will provide them with a free document allowing them to vote. 

An estimated 3.5million voters may not have photo ID in the UK.   

And critics argue that it will disproportionately negatively affect marginal groups such as ethnic minorities.    

Voter rights group, the Electoral Reform Society, has called the new plans a ‘dangerous plan to deny people the vote.’ 

Labour’s shadow minister for democracy, Cat Smith, told The Sun: ‘It doesn’t matter how the Government dresses it up, these plans will make it harder for working class, older and black people to vote. Giving people a say at the ballot box helps make our democratic country what it is, and we must not do anything to undermine that.’

In 2019 there were just 34 allegations of voter fraud out of 58million votes. And of them one led to a conviction and another to a caution.   

Photo ID has been required in Northern Ireland since 2003. 

A Cabinet Office spokeswoman told The Telegraph: ‘We will be introducing new measures, as part of the Government’s manifesto commitment, to prevent the potential for voter fraud in our electoral system.

‘This will further strengthen the integrity of UK elections and will include ID checks at the polling station and rules that prevent abuse of postal and proxy votes.’