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		</div><p>Boris Johnson has been accused of attempting “voter suppression” by a former Labour Party leader after announcing plans to make photographic ID compulsory when voting.</p>
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<p>The Queen’s Speech included plans to tighten rules around voting, with voters needing to show an “approved form of photographic ID” when turning up to polling stations.</p>
<p>But former Labour leader Ed Miliband said the British Prime Minister had not offered “any evidence” that there was an issue with the integrity of voting in the UK.</p>
<p>A passport or a driver’s licence featuring a photograph will need to be produced in order to have a say at the next election under the plans being proposed by the Government.</p>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="550" data-dnt="true">
<p lang="en" dir="ltr">Photo ID to vote without any evidence of a problem such an obvious US voter suppression move&#8230;plus in small print of briefing document making people re-apply for postal votes every three years&#8230;.more bureaucracy to disenfranchise more people, particularly older voters.</p>
<p>&mdash; Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) <a href="https://twitter.com/Ed_Miliband/status/1183705062150946816?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">October 14, 2019</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>Ministers said those who do not hold such identification documents will be able to apply for free for a local electoral identity document to avoid losing their vote.</p>
<p>The fine print in the draft Bill also places extra burdens on postal voters, with fresh requirements to reapply every three years to vote by post.</p>
<p>Under current rules, those on the electoral register simply turn up at their local polling station to have their say.</p>
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<p>Voters are sent polling cards informing them of the election date and where to go to vote but the card does not have to be handed over in exchange for a ballot paper.</p>
<p>Mr Miliband tweeted: “Photo ID to vote without any evidence of a problem such an obvious US voter suppression move.</p>
<p>“Plus, in small print of briefing document making people re-apply for postal votes every three years… more bureaucracy to disenfranchise more people, particularly older voters.”</p>
<p>Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said the policy was a “blatant attempt by the Tories to rig the result” of the next election, saying that “millions of people” in the UK did “not have access to any photo ID”.</p>
<p>The Electoral Commission said it had found the UK’s voting system was “vulnerable to fraud” in recent studies.</p>
<p>In voter ID pilot schemes run by the commission in 2018 and 2019, less than 1% of eligible voters turned up without their IDs and failed to return, according to a paper published on the findings.</p>
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<blockquote><p>When millions of people lack photo ID, these mooted plans risk raising the drawbridge to huge numbers of marginalised voters &#8211; including many elderly and BAME voters</p></blockquote>
<p>A commission spokesman said: “As we have highlighted, the Government should ensure that any ID requirements set out in the Bill allow for alternatives to photo ID, for those who do not already have this.</p>
<p>“This will ensure voting at polling stations remains accessible. We await further detail of the Government’s proposed Bill.”</p>
<p>But the Electoral Reform Society (ERS) said its research indicated there were only eight allegations of impersonation made out of the millions of votes cast during elections in 2018.</p>
<p>Chief executive Darren Hughes said 3.5 million voters did not have access to photo ID, making them vulnerable to missing out.</p>
<p>“When millions of people lack photo ID, these mooted plans risk raising the drawbridge to huge numbers of marginalised voters – including many elderly and BAME (black, Asian and minority ethnic) voters,” said Mr Hughes.</p>
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<p>The ERS estimated the scheme would cost up to £20 million to enforce per election, adding to the estimated £140 million cost to the taxpayer of an election.</p>
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