rich 1.0 Action Network https://actionnetwork.org <link href='https://actionnetwork.org/css/style-embed-v3.css' rel='stylesheet' type='text/css' /><script src='https://actionnetwork.org/widgets/v6/petition/scrap-the-voter-id-requirement?format=js&source=widget'></script><div id='can-petition-area-scrap-the-voter-id-requirement' style='width: 100%'><!-- this div is the target for our HTML insertion --></div> University of Sussex Students' Union https://actionnetwork.org/groups/university-of-sussex-students-union https://can2-prod.s3.amazonaws.com/petitions/photos/000/408/791/normal/UCU_Strike_(12).jpg Starting in the 2023 Local Elections, the government plans to force every UK voter to present ID upon voting. This is a grave breach of the democratic process and will make it harder for those on lower incomes and people of colour to vote, as these groups are less likely to possess an official ID. The government’s implementation of Voter ID is an opportunistic attack on the right to vote that seeks to roll back decades of progress made. If you are a disabled person, a trans person, a migrant, someone without the funds or a fixed address or a student then on top of being less likely to have identification to vote in the first place you will have to face a process fraught with barriers to finally attain some. Voter ID will lead to more people being excluded than ever before. Elections in the UK are well run. In the 2019 general election there were just 34 alleged cases of voter fraud out of a total 58,000,000 votes cast without any allegations of fraud—(https://www.electoral-reform.org.uk/campaigns/voter-id/)—this seriously calls into question what this legislation has been designed for and what issue the government has perceived to necessitate it. The new regulations allow for concessionary bus travel passes for the over 60’s to be used as a valid form of identification while not allowing student ID to be used — despite similar veracity behind the process of obtaining either. This is a blatant, politically motivated attack by the government that will harm democracy and suppress young people and students from taking part in elections. As a student movement we must stand up and fight back against this democratic downfall in solidarity with other groups of people that face being suppressed by this draconian legislation and encourage any current or recently graduated students to sign this student movement petition in opposition to Voter ID. More actions and calls to organising will be shared via email to signatories soon. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/scrap-the-voter-id-requirement