Former PM made the requirement to bring photo ID a stipulation of the Elections Act in 2022
  • bstix@feddit.dkEnglish
    3·
    2 months ago

    The misstep was embarrassing for Johnson because the requirement to bring photo ID is a stipulation of the Elections Act which he introduced in 2022 while still in Downing

    It’s not the onion, because you can’t make this shit up.

    • Rai@lemmy.dbzer0.comEnglish
      0·
      2 months ago

      As a person with no horse in the grinder, why is requiring ID a good thing in England/EU a good thing, but bad in the USA?

      I’m very confused.

      • JustEnoughDucks@feddit.nlEnglish
        1·
        2 months ago

        The US (mostly the trending fascist party) does whatever possible to make sure the least amount of people possible get the opportunity to vote and for the people who do vote, make sure their vote does not count as much as possible. It also varies per state.

        • not giving out a national identification card, but then requiring an identification card to vote

        • voting districts with crazy borders to make absolute certain that the far right gets the most representatives possible https://www.maproomblog.com/xq/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/wapost-gerrymander-1024x687.jpg

        • reducing the amount of voting centers every year in areas like major cities that vote more left so that the people would have to travel an hour or more to vote and without a car, it is almost impossible

        • Voting is not a public holiday and many states do not allow voting by mail. Combined with the before point removes many poor people’s ability to vote at all

        • there is a right wing effort to remove as many left leaning votors as possible from registration for minor errors

        • Armed party members at elections recently to intimidate voters, especially if they “look like the left demographic”

        • the “electoral college” which can just decide to not cast the vote that actually decides elections for the candidates that the citizens voted for

        It is really batshit crazy over there. It seems like the right gets away with all of this crazy stuff and then when the left is back in power, almost nothing is done to change it back with regards to voting.

      • thehatfox@lemmy.worldEnglish
        0·
        2 months ago

        Voting ID requirements have not been universally seen as a good thing in the UK, there’s been a lot of opposition to it.

        There is no national ID in the UK, instead there is a patchwork of secondary ID systems such as passports, drivers licenses, travel cards etc. In most cases they have a monetary cost or are not universally available.

        It’s been seen as an attempt at voter suppression as many poorer British people may not have suitable ID. The rules also reject many forms of ID commonly held by younger voters, while accepting a wider range of ID held be older voters. There is supposed to be a free voting ID available but implantation has been left to local councils and has been criticised as hard to access.

        • Flax@feddit.ukEnglish
          0·
          2 months ago

          Seriously? They made voting ID a council issue? Northern Ireland has had voting ID for a while and it’s dead easy to get one, only thing I needed to pay was postage on a 2nd class stamp. Pretty good as well as it basically makes a free photographic ID available

          • kofe@lemmy.worldEnglish
            0·
            2 months ago

            So, you had it mailed? Wouldn’t that leave houseless people on the short end of this “dead easy” stick?

            • Flax@feddit.ukEnglish
              0·
              2 months ago

              1. You can get stuff mailed to a sheltered accomodation or homeless shelter

              2. You generally needed the polling card and an address to register to vote before this system, so I don’t see how it makes a difference.

  • Hegar@kbin.social
    2·
    2 months ago

    Imagine going through the soul crushing hell of being a committed and earnest election worker in a failing 21st century democracy and then the clouds part and in one shining moment you can tell boris you have no idea who he is, but he’ll need ID.

    Like seriously consider it. Do you say “on your bike son”? Can you resist flipping him off? The joy he gave that one person might be the single act of good in johnson’s entire life.

  • FinishingDutch@lemmy.worldEnglish
    0·
    2 months ago

    This fucking dingbat. Even if he was just a random citizen, he should know by now that you need to bring ID. And it’s always good to check if you have it when going to your polling station.

    Here in the Netherlands, we’re VERY strict on ID. No ID, no vote. I’ve been witness to a fair few elections as a reporter, and it always gets drilled into the people who run the polling stations: even if the King himself walks in, you ask him for his ID and tell him to bugger off if he doesn’t have it. I’ve seen city mayors turned away at polling stations in their own council buildings for failing to produce ID. And they all perfectly understand why those strict controls are necessary.

    • metaStatic@kbin.social
      0·
      2 months ago

      And they all perfectly understand why those strict controls are necessary

      To disenfranchise those without government issued ID