Mitigate against Voter Suppression

This CLP notes:
The passing of the Elections Act 2022 and the new requirement for voters to show photo ID at the polling station before being able to vote. This legislation is due to take effect in May 2023.

This CLP believes:
This timetable is too tight and does not allow Local Authorities and officers to prepare or inform voters in time. This will cause undue stress to council staff and polling day staff, who will need to be trained to fully implement the new system.
Electors are already disenfranchised and the extra bureaucracy will add further barriers to voting, particularly in those groups that might traditionally vote Labour. .

This CLP resolves to:
1) Ask the GLA and the Mayor to work together on raising this issue with Londoners and the benefits of a postal vote.
2) Brief all Labour party members in the capital on the Act and the need to apply for a postal vote.
3) Produce a briefing on this issue for all London CLPs within the next six months and to report back on this issue at the next Greater London Labour party conference.
4) Work with the Electoral Reform Society and others to lobby the Government to change these undemocratic requirements.
5) Request that the national Labour party produce a political strategy on voter suppression prior to the next Labour Conference.
6) Request that the national Labour party draw up a plan to maximise the number of valid postal votes.
Ends
246 words