The Introduction and Implementation of Voter ID in the United Kingdom

A Project Summary

Abstract

The introduction of voter identification (ID) in the Elections Act 2022 has attracted considerable attention amongst academics, lawyers and journalists alike, with tens of millions of people in the United Kingdom (UK) who traditionally cast their vote in polling stations being directly impacted. Concerns have been repeatedly raised that the reforms are unnecessary given the infrequency of impersonation, that the new law may disenfranchise minorities, the elderly and less well-off people, and pile more pressure on local authorities to administer the process, as well as costing tens of millions of pounds to implement. This article provides a brief overview of the introduction and implementation of voter ID in Great Britain and, more specifically, my own research activities in this area since 2017. During this project I have published numerous outputs, including public-facing and accessible blogs which have attracted a wide audience, but also substantive academic articles which have been used by legal teams in a challenge which ultimately proceeded to the UK Supreme Court. I have also collaborated with other academics, lawyers and journalists to disseminate my findings to a broader audience.