Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answers of 2 March 2017 to Questions 65453, 65456 and 65480, what criteria the Government uses to determine which factors to test for their effects on voter turn out.

In our response to Securing the Ballot, the Government agreed with Sir Eric that voter identification measures should be explored further, as a means of addressing some existing vulnerabilities in the electoral system.

The Government’s view is that, before any decisions can be taken about the suitability of voter identification to elections in Britain, such measures should first be subject to thorough and rigorous testing in a number of pilot schemes. This will enable us to accurately determine the impact of asking voters to present identification on all aspects of the electoral process, including on such important factors as an elector’s likelihood of turning out.