ID card bid to halt election fraud

A photographic identity card is to be introduced in a bid to combat electoral fraud in Northern Ireland, it emerged tonight.

Northern Ireland Office Minister Des Browne unveiled the initiative, which will form part of the Electoral Fraud Act 2002, at Parliament Buildings, Stormont.

He said: ‘‘The Government is determined to prevent electoral abuse and to improve confidence in the electoral system.

‘‘We will continue to work with the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland and the Electoral Commission to put in place effective measures at registration, in the absent vote process and at the polling station.

‘‘The Electoral Fraud Act 2002 makes radical changes to the registration process by requiring people to sign their canvass or application form and to provide their date of birth and national insurance number.’’

Mr Browne said the additional personal information would not appear on the public version of the register, but will be used at the Electoral Office to make checks against the names of electors when they apply for an absent vote and to track multiple voters.

He said: ‘‘Absent voting practices arguably provide a greater opportunity for vote stealing, because there is a less stringent requirement to prove one’s identity when applying for an absent vote than there is at the ballot box.

‘‘The Act combats this problem by requiring absent vote applications to be signed and to state an applicant’s date of birth and national insurance number. These must correspond with the information which the elector provided to the Chief Electoral Officer on registration.’’

Mr Browne said the provisions of the new Act would also tackle fraud at the polling station by making it obligatory to show photographic identity.

‘‘We are committed to providing those people who require one with an electoral ID card in time for the scheduled assembly election on May 1, 2003,’’ he said.

‘‘I also hope to be able to remove of all forms of non-photographic ID from the list of specified documents by that date making the electoral ID card, the passport, the driving licence and the Senior Smartpass the only ID acceptable at the polling station.

‘‘We have the opportunity to combat electoral abuse in Northern Ireland, to benefit the democratic process and to society at large. But we will only achieve this if we work in partnership.’’

He added: ‘‘Government, the Electoral Office, the Electoral Commission and the political parties of Northern Ireland all have a responsibility to ensure that the people of Northern Ireland understand these changes to their electoral system and that they respond to them.’’