Issue - meetings

To consider a report of the Deputy Chief Executive.

The Council Meeting on 5th April 2018 gave approval to a motion in relation to voter identification trials. The motion requested that a report be submitted to a meeting of this Committee once the Electoral Commission had completed their evaluation of the pilots which took place at eight Local Authorities. This report provides a summary of these findings.

The Scrutiny Committee is recommended to comment on and note the report.

Officer contact: Caroline Cooke, 0161 474 3173, caroline.e.cooke@stockport.gov.uk

A report of the Deputy Chief Executive was submitted (copies of which had been circulated) updating the Scrutiny Committee on the Electoral Commission evaluation of trials of voter indication in eight areas in the UK. This report had been submitted following a decision of the Council Meeting.

A councillor expressed surprise that such a large proportion of young people had been unable to provide ID given how often young people were required to produce ID.

Other councillors queried the rationale for the pilots and whether the scale of potential fraud was sufficient to justify the expensive of introducing additional identification measures.

RESOLVED - (5 in favour, 2 against, 1 abstention) That the Returning Officer be recommended not to volunteer Stockport to take part in any future Voter Identification trial.