They must remain available options for voters who may not wish to, or cannot, vote at a polling station. Voting by post and voting by proxy are essential tools for supporting voters in exercising their rights. That is why the Elections Bill will also introduce measures to combat electoral fraud, and to ensure the integrity of the ballot in other ways. Many across this House and the other place-again, this is an area that I expect to engage with in Committee-also have concerns about the integrity of absent voting methods. In fact, we know that not only has it been operating with ease for decades, it has been successful in upholding the integrity of elections. We therefore have an empirical example of how the rollout of such a measure can work. Indeed, it is not even a new concept in the United Kingdom, having been in place in Northern Ireland since 2003, when it was introduced by the then Labour Government. Voter ID is used across the world, including in most European countries and in Canada. These proposals have been tried and tested, and not just via the pilots that we ran in 20. I bring to noble Lords’ attention the policy statement published in January by the Minister of State at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, which sets out how the new requirements will work, including the application and rollout process that we envisage for the voter card. Noble Lords are rightly keen to understand the detail of the secondary legislation in this area and how the card will be administered.
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The Bill also makes provision for free voter cards to be produced and made available by local authorities to those electors who require them. Set out in the Bill is a broad range of identification that will be accepted. Not everyone has a passport or a driving licence, as I have seen inferred in some reporting of the provisions, so I want to underscore at the outset today that it is not just those forms of identification. Many people would question why it is not already the case in fact, a recent Electoral Commission report was clear that the majority of the public say that a requirement to show identification at polling stations would make them more confident in the security of the voting system. It is something that we are often required to do in everyday life. Showing photo identification is a reasonable and proportionate way of proving your identity. Everyone is challenged now as to their identity before they vote. Part 1 of the Bill therefore introduces what many consider to be an obvious requirement: the requirement to prove that you are who you say you are before you cast your vote. I am sure we will have the opportunity to discuss that in Committee, but we on this side must respectfully disagree. In the Commons, we heard many times from the Opposition that this is a non-issue and that fraud within our system is not a problem. Part 1 focuses on the administration of our elections-specifically, and most critically, on the principle that all those who are able to vote can do so easily and with confidence in the integrity of their ballot.
The Bill is the product of a number of reviews and reports, and fulfils a number of long-standing commitments. That is why the Bill is necessary, and it is not without careful consideration that we take these steps. But it does not do that entirely naturally it is down to the stewards of that system to actively preserve it-and, at this time, that includes your Lordships.
We have a remarkable democratic heritage, because it has evolved and adapted with time, and overcome new threats and challenges. I am therefore pleased to come before your Lordships for the Second Reading of this necessary Bill, which is a key part of that work.
The Government committed in their manifesto to secure the integrity of elections, restore constitutional balance and defend our democracy against increasingly sophisticated threats. Without any offence to anyone, I particularly look forward of course to hearing the maiden speech of the noble Lord, Lord Moore of Etchingham. That is a testament to the importance of the subject matter underpinning this Bill. My Lords, I see that there is a large number of speakers down today.
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