More than 20 charities and civil society groups have urged the government to halt plans to expand compulsory voter ID, arguing that a trial at local elections in May did nothing to dispel fears it would put off vulnerable and disadvantaged groups.

The organisations, including the Salvation Army, Age UK, Liberty and Centrepoint, have written a joint letter warning that the idea was an excessive response to an almost negligible problem of voter impersonation at polling booths.

Any wider plans to oblige voters to show ID at elections in England would “disproportionately impact the most marginalised groups in society”, such as homeless people, older voters or others from minority backgrounds, it said.

One of the signatories, the race equality thinktank the Runnymede Trust, noted that the struggle of people from the Windrush generation to prove their right to live in the UK showed it could be particularly hard for some groups to provide the correct documentation.

In May, voters in five English council areas had to show ID to vote, ranging from their ballot paper to documents such as a passport or driving licence.



A report this month by the Electoral Commission said the trial had gone well, with “nearly everyone” who went to polling stations able to show ID, and people in the relevant areas showing confidence that fraud was being tackled.

However, the commission warned that there was “not yet enough evidence to fully address concerns and answer questions about the impact of identification requirements on voters” – for example, whether such schemes could put some people off from even trying to vote.

It also said that the five trial areas – Bromley, Watford, Gosport, Swindon and Woking – were not sufficiently varied, and said more work was needed to evaluate the idea, such as conducting further trials at the 2019 local elections.

Voter ID pilot schemes were trialled by five councils – Bromley, Gosport, Swindon, Watford and Woking – at the local elections in May. Photograph: PA

The report also recommended proper equalities assessments of pilot schemes, to also include better options for those without the correct ID.

The joint letter, led by the Electoral Reform Society and sent to the Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith, said that during the trial 350 people were turned away for not having the correct ID and did not return to vote – and there were just 28 allegations of voter impersonation throughout 2017.

“Further trials are a distraction from the many more pressing challenges our democracy faces,” the letter said. “There are other measures which the government could be pursuing, which would do more to help meet the Cabinet Office’s plan to improve democratic engagement. We urge the government to think again about imposing this risky policy of voter ID.”

Jonathon Graham, policy analyst for the Salvation Army, said difficulties such as homelessness, domestic violence or mental and physical ill health could easily leave people without access to documentation.

He said: “Rather than adding to the democratic process, the Salvation Army believes voter ID will only serve to enhance the systemic barriers to wider participation in society that so many of the people with whom we work already face.”

Omar Khan, director of the Runnymede Trust, said: “We know from the Windrush scandal that it can be difficult for minority groups to provide documents proving their identity, through no fault of their own.

“We also know from examples around the world that they are more likely to be disenfranchised when voter identification requirements become stricter. It is shocking, therefore, that none of the pilots took place in more diverse areas.”

Cat Smith, shadow minister for voter engagement, said: “It is disgraceful that the Tories remain committed to this dangerous policy despite being fully aware that it will disproportionately impact the most marginalised groups in society.

“The government should stop trying to make it harder for people to vote and abandon their undemocratic proposals as a matter of urgency.”

A Cabinet Office spokesman said: “We welcome the recent evaluation from the Electoral Commission into the voter ID pilots. The success of the pilots proves that this is a reasonable and proportionate measure and voters were fully aware of the changes on polling day.