Earlier this week I spoke in favour of the Government's Elections Bill in a Second Reading Debate in the House of Commons. I have now been appointed to the Bill Committee that will consider the legislation on a line-by-line basis.
Confidence at the ballot box and in our electoral system is crucial. Everyone who wants to should be able to vote, but once and once only, and not under duress as has happened in some "vote harvesting" scandals.
I know how justifiably angry Newcastle-under-Lyme residents who were deprived of their votes in 2017 were - I quoted one resident who had written to the council saying:
"For me a vote is not merely a mark on a paper; it symbolises my inalienable right to choose who shall govern me and set the tenor of my life for the next five years. This right and privilege has been won for us over many generations by brave and dedicated men and women and is a precious gift. That I have been robbed of it by some administrative incompetence is an insult to their legacy and a grave disservice to me."
That administrative incompetence ultimately led to the downfall of the then Labour-led Borough council. I am glad that all our subsequent elections, in 2018, 2019 and earlier this year, have passed off smoothly.
Perhaps even more troubling are the cases of voter fraud we have seen, with notable instances in Tower Hamlets, Slough and Birmingham, all of which were referred to in the debate. These frauds usually involve either impersonation at the polling station, or illegal handling of postal votes. People have had their votes stolen, and election results have had to be voided.
The Bill includes measures to tackle both of these frauds, notably through requiring voter identification, which has already been trialled in the UK. Two-thirds of people say they would feel more confident in the security of the voting system if there was a requirement to show ID.
A wide range of countries, such as Canada, France, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Norway and Sweden already require some form of identification to vote, and photo ID is already standard in Northern Ireland (under legislation brought in by the last Labour Government).
Many standard forms of photo ID will be accepted, including passports, driving licences, Proof of Age cards, concessionary travel passes, and blue badges. Free voter cards will also be issued to anyone who needs one.