Politicians may also be looking at restrict voting to voters more likely to vote for them.

'Under the new government voting rules, being trialled in several local authorities at the 3 May local elections, people will be asked at polling stations to produce documents proving their identity – such as a passport or driving licence – before casting their vote. Currently, no such proof is required.

One day, not far off, they may even credit check you......

I will be a Poll Clerk at the local elections for Bromley one of the areas trialing the id system. I have done this for many years. I suspect Bromley was picked because we are pretty efficient at managing elections (unlike Lewisham) and if we can't make it work that should be a red flag.

I have my training on Tuesday. My concern is that because we do not have a national id they have produced a laundry list of suitable alternate id's. Some are obvious, passport, driver license but how am I supposed to know what a gun license looks like? I expect there will be some confusion and the usual question will my library card do?

I have no problem with people having to prove who they are but this is the minor end of voter fraud. The real issue is postal voting. In some communities the local "community spokesperson" aka "big mouth" tells the community to apply for a postal vote if they know what's good for them*. The blank form is then collected by a helpful member of the community and duly filled in.

This has been reported in various locations across the UK and is not specific to any "community". This is a far bigger issue then one individual walking into a Polling Station and impersonating someone. For the record in 20 years I have never heard of this in Bromley so either it doesn't happen or they are very good at it.

I will report back after the elections on how it goes.

*I asked a colleague why would his "community" knuckle under to voter intermediation. He replied they know where you family live back home. In many countries a clan / tribe / family control an area, the folk in the UK are very aware of how exposed their loved ones are back home. I can't say I blame them.

Sorry forgot to add the other big issue is non existent voters. The London borough where the Mayor was banned had many examples of 20 odd people living at one address who didn't exist. However I assume that whoever organised that fraud would also apply for postal votes otherwise they would have to recruit people to vote which might have uncovered it.

An efficient council does proper checks when registering voters to ensure that they exist and they are entitled to vote. There are rumours that citizens who are not entitled to vote have simply declared they are UK citizens and the council has looked the other way because they will vote for their party.

Edited by Badger11 (22 Apr 2018 9.37am)

One more point

Then they should be sacked.

Buy Litecoin.

Tell me about it....but instead they are a part of a political cross party consensus.

Edited by Stirlingsays (22 Apr 2018 6.14pm)

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

We live in a representative democracy. It is what it is. We don't get to change the ship but we do get a tiny say on deciding who is steering it. I think you are far more centred in on the system, which is fair enough. What system would you prefer instead?

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)

I'd agree that the parliament system and buildings are arcane.

It works but it creates a hefty political class that personally I think could be streamlined.

The political class are the one civil service who never seem to suffer cuts.

'Who are you and how did you get in here? I'm a locksmith. And, I'm a locksmith.' (Leslie Nielsen)