Source · Select Committees · Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee
Recommendation 53
53
Rejected
Government research on voter ID impacts fails to assess turnout or demographic effects.
Conclusion
When asked what criteria the Government would use to assess the effect of the voter ID policy on turnout, the Government told us that it had commissioned research from IFF Research. However, this research does not consider the impact of the policy on turnout, which was the question put to the Government. Neither does the IFF Research study consider the effect the policy has had on different demographic groups. Evidence from the Electoral Commission, and other independent studies of the policy’s impact, suggests that certain groups have been more affected that others. The exclusion of this from the Government sponsored research is all the more concerning given that it was explicitly raised as a concern by our predecessor committee. (Conclusion, Paragraph 147)
Government Response Summary
The government defends its approach to voter ID, citing its commissioned IFF Research, which it states looked into impacts on different demographics, implicitly rejecting the committee's critique of the research. It reiterates its commitment to improve accessibility by accepting bank cards as ID.
Government Response
Rejected
HM Government
Rejected
This Government was elected on a manifesto commitment to address the inconsistencies in the voter ID rules that prevent legitimate voters from participating. As set out in the Strategy, the Government is clear that significant improvements are needed to remove barriers to participation while maintaining proportionate safeguards against personation. The Electoral Commission’s report into Voter ID at the 2024 UK general election, published September 2024, showed 4% of non-voters at the 2024 General Election cited voter ID as a factor in their not turning out to vote. Evidence also consistently shows that at least 2% of people in Great Britain do not hold a form of ID on the current list and that certain groups of people are less likely to have accepted forms of ID. Extensive research was also conducted by IFF Research, who looked into the impacts of voter ID on different demographics and their propensity to vote, as published in May 2025 in the IFF evaluation of the impact and implementation of the Elections Act. It is essential to keep our democratic processes under review to ensure they are fit for purpose, which is why we previously amended the list of accepted identifications to include the HM Armed Forces Veteran Card. As set out in the Strategy for Elections, after careful review and consideration of potential changes to ensure the accessibility of the voter ID policy, we will further be amending legislation to permit the use of UK-issued bank cards as an accepted form of voter identification in Great Britain. This change will increase accessibility and ensure greater choice and flexibility for voters. Bank cards are held by the overwhelming majority of the electorate, and this change will significantly reduce the proportion of legitimate electors who are unable to meet the identification requirement. This change is particularly important to ensure those who are less likely to hold photo ID–such as electors with disabilities and younger electors–are effectively able to engage with the democratic process and have their voices heard.