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Local government

Voter ID Awareness Campaigns Fall Short, Leaving Voters in the Dark

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

Local authorities in the UK have allocated a woefully inadequate budget to inform voters about the new Voter ID requirements, with some 50% of those that declared a specified budget spending just £10,000 or less. At 11p per voter, the funding distribution is alarmingly low, leaving many unaware of the changes. A total of 12.2% of authorities had spent nothing at all on Voter ID awareness, while just 4% had allocated £30,000 or more to raise awareness about the new rules.

Key Takeaways:

  • 50% of local authorities that declared a specified budget spent just £10,000 or less on Voter ID awareness campaigns, leaving many voters in the dark.
  • At 11p per voter, the funding distribution is woefully inadequate, with some local authorities spending as little as 0.11% of their total budget on awareness efforts.
  • 12.2% of authorities had spent nothing at all on Voter ID awareness, indicating a lack of prioritization by the government.
  • Just 4% of authorities had allocated £30,000 or more to raise awareness about the new Voter ID requirements.
  • The government's claims of working closely with local authorities to raise awareness are contradicted by the lack of significant funding.
  • Only 85,000 people out of an estimated 2.1 million voters without ID applied for a free ID document, sparking concerns about the impact of the new rules on voter turnout.

Statistics:

  • 50% of local authorities spent £10,000 or less on Voter ID awareness campaigns.
  • 12.2% of authorities spent nothing at all on Voter ID awareness.
  • 4% of authorities allocated £30,000 or more to raise awareness about the new Voter ID requirements.
  • 85,000 people out of an estimated 2.1 million voters without ID applied for a free ID document.
  • The required Voter ID can be obtained for free, but only a small percentage of those eligible have applied.

Sources:

  • Unlock Democracy, "New research reveals shocking lack of voter ID awareness funding ahead of local elections"
  • "Government 'failed to implement voter ID law properly' as 90% of authorities to hold elections don't have database to check IDs"
  • The Mirror, "Voter ID law: Labour blasts Tories over 'undemocratic' rules that could see thousands stopped from voting"

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