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Today in Focus

Will the UK’s strict new voter ID laws damage democracy?

Today in Focus

The Guardian

News, Daily News

4.65.9K Ratings

🗓️ 16 January 2023

⏱️ 32 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

For the first time, voters in May’s local elections will be required to show photo ID before casting their ballot. But as Peter Walker reports, the new rules risk damaging the integrity of elections, not enhancing it. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus

Transcript

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0:00.0

This is the Guardian.

0:02.0

Today, did you know the rules around how you vote are changing in the UK?

0:17.0

We arrived at Vittirod Market in East London, my favourite markets. It's pretty lively.

0:37.0

There are budges, fruits, vegetables and quality as you've heard behind us.

0:42.0

This old school east end is West African, Caribbean, Asian, Turkish.

0:49.0

Everyone's got their little tribe here.

0:51.0

You can pick up pretty much anything in Ridley Market.

0:54.0

But I'm not here for my usual halal chicken and exotic fruit.

0:58.0

But to talk to people about a new law

1:01.0

that will change the way they're allowed to vote.

1:04.0

Do you generally vote?

1:06.0

Yes, I do vote by poster.

1:08.0

And have you heard of the change in law which requires people to carry photo ID

1:14.0

if they're going to a polling booth?

1:16.0

I didn't know how to vote.

1:18.0

Not a lot of people have heard of it.

1:21.0

A campaign was launched last week to tell the public that from May

1:25.0

the Elections Act means that for the first time,

1:28.0

voters in England, Scotland and Wales

1:32.0

will now have to carry a specific photo ID to the polling booth.

1:36.0

The way we vote is facing the biggest shake-up in decades.

1:39.0

New rules will mean new checks for voters and new rules for officials,

...

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