Question to the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities:

To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people who will apply for a photo voter ID card even if they already hold the accepted forms of photo ID to vote.

The Cabinet Office published research on photographic identification in May 2021, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-identification-photographic-id-ownership-in-great-britain.

This report contains information on levels of ownership of photographic identification and attitudes towards applying for voter cards.

As the report makes clear, the vast majority of electors already possess one of the relevant forms of identification. This list will be set out clearly on poll cards to assist electors. Furthermore, the Electoral Commission will deliver comprehensive, targeted communications and guidance across the electorate to ensure awareness of the new voter identification requirements and processes. This will ensure electors have appropriate identification or have applied for a Voter Card ahead of electoral events and minimise the number of people applying for a voter card unnecessarily.