Voters in neighbouring Oldham to face ID checks in pilot scheme

Ballot box

Neighbouring Oldham is one of 18 areas included in the government's pilot to combat electoral fraud.

The scheme, which will be trialed at local elections in 2018, will see voters in the pilot areas required to take ID to prove who they are before they can vote, to prevent anyone fraudulently taking another person's ballot paper.

Two other north west areas, Blackburn with Darwen and Burnley, are with Oldham in the 18 areas that have been identified by the Electoral Commission as local authority areas that it considers to be most at risk of allegations of electoral fraud and has invited applications from those councils to participate in its pilot schemes.

Councils will be invited to trial different types of identification, including forms of photo ID such as driving licences and passports, or correspondence such as a utilities bill to prove address, backed by a signature check.

The government will also introduce legislation to ban political campaigners from handing in large numbers of postal ballots on election day.

The reform was first suggested by anti-corruption champion and former communities secretary Sir Eric Pickles in August, when he released recommendations amid growing concerns about fraud.

Some of the key recommendations under consideration include a ban on the handling of completed postal ballots by political campaigners, limiting it to family members or carers, and requiring people to re-register for postal votes every three years.

The creation of a new form of ID for voting has been ruled out.

Campaigners said levels of fraud did not justify the move while Labour said it amounted to voter "suppression". Former London mayor Ken Livingstone, who is suspended from Labour, criticised the proposals, saying they would unfairly affect those more likely to vote for Labour.