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Shadow Minister for Voter Engagement and Youth Affairs Cat Smith writes for the Mirror.

The local and mayoral elections are fast approaching. On May 4th people across the country will cast their vote and decide who will represent them in local government.

With any election taking place, it is important to think ahead, and the local elections next year are no exception.

Local authorities will be running pilots to test the use of ID – both photographic and non-photographic.

Electors unable to produce the necessary ID will not be allowed to vote and turned away from the polling stations.

According to the Tory Government, the aims of the pilots are to mitigate the risk of electoral fraud.

(Image: Getty)

If successful, the measure could be introduced for other polls, including general elections.

When questioned in the House of Commons earlier this year, Minister for the Constitution Chris Skidmore admitted the trials were more about tackling the perception of electoral fraud.

Last year there were 665 cases of alleged voter fraud and complaints about elections last year, out of a total of 51.4 million votes cast in all electoral contests in that period.

Labour takes allegations of electoral fraud very seriously and condemns any action that seeks to undermine our democracy or weaken our tradition of free and fair elections.

However, requiring voters to produce ID in polling stations risks denying millions of electors a vote.

According to the Electoral Commission, 3.5 million electors - 7.5% of the electorate – do not have photo ID.

Many people, including students and those living in temporary accommodation, will not have a utility bill or council tax bill in their name. What will they do on polling day?

The Government should be doing all it can to encourage lawful voting and ensure a high turnout, not putting extra hurdles in the way of legitimate voters.