Question to the Cabinet Office:

To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the total cost to local authorities of advertising voter ID changes in the five local authorities which trialled those changes in the 2018 local government elections.

The British public deserves to have confidence in our democracy and the Government is committed to making sure that our electoral system is fit for the future.

Voter ID was successfully tested at the local elections on 3 May by five local authorities: Bromley, Gosport, Swindon, Watford and Woking. Proxy voters in Peterborough were also required to show ID before they could vote. The overwhelming majority of people cast their vote without a problem.

Local authorities were responsible for the delivery of any adverts, literature or paid content relating to the pilots in their respective areas. The additional costs of the voter ID pilots have yet to be collated. Funding for the additional cost of piloting voter ID will be provided by the Cabinet Office. The Electoral Commission is responsible for carrying out an independent, statutory evaluation of the pilot schemes and will publish its findings in the summer of 2018.