Minister for Local Government to be quizzed on voter ID

The session will take place on Wednesday 6 November at 11:45am and can be followed on Parliament TV. 

Giving evidence will be:  

• Simon Hoare MP, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Minister for Local Government), Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities  
• Becca Crosier, Deputy Director for Elections, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities 

Questions the committee is likely to ask include: 

• What lessons did the Government learn from implementation of the voter ID policy at the May 2023 elections? 
  
  
• Could datasets already owned by the Government—such as lists of benefits recipients— be leveraged to raise awareness about the voter ID requirement, and help facilitate voter registration and applications for Voter Authority Certificates? 
  
  
• Is the Government providing extra financial support to the Electoral Commission, local authorities and / or civil society organisations for awareness raising purposes? 
  
  
• What impact do you anticipate voter ID having on turnout at the next general election? Will the impact be greater for particular demographics? 
  
  
• What funding has been provided to local authorities to meet the costs of implementing the voter ID policy? Will this funding be renewed as and when it’s needed? 

What steps is the Government taking to alleviate the strain under which the electoral sector operates, including ensuring returning officers have adequate staff to deliver services on the lead up to elections and on polling day itself?