Watford Borough Council is trialling a new scheme which will require people to show their polling card before they can vote – but how will it work?

People in the town will elect their next mayor and 12 borough councillors in local elections on May 3.

Chloe Smith MP, the new Minister for the Constitution, was in town today to discuss the pilot - likely to be the first of a series - with Watford Mayor Dorothy Thornhill and council's managing director Manny Lewis.

They hope the move will cut down on voter fraud.

So what changes?

In the past, anyone going to vote has only had to confirm their name and address.

But now, you will have to show the polling card sent to you. If you lose it or accidentally throw it away, you can also confirm your identity with a driving licence or passport.

It’s something that has been the norm in Northern Ireland and Canada and the Government hopes Britain can follow in their footsteps.

Ms Smith said: “We are fortunate to live in a country where there has been a safe and stable electoral system.

“This is about finding improvements to that.”

But the scheme is not without its criticisms. The town's Labour party described it as "using a sledgehammer to crack a walnut".

The party's election agent, Mike Jackson, believes it will "deter" people from voting, especially if their first language is not English.

"It's difficult enough to encourage people to vote without this new impediment," he said.

But Watford MP Richard Harrington remains positive. 

He said: “I’m always very surprised at the number of people turning up at polling stations with their passports, anyway.”

Does Watford have a voter fraud problem, then?

Borough and district councils run elections in the UK. While Watford has not had problems with people casting their votes fraudulently, it is still something we need to be aware of.

Ms Smith said: “It helps send out a cautionary message that you should be taking your vote seriously.

“It helps protect the system as a whole, and helps protect voters’ own rights.

“Let’s not forget that if fraud exists it’s a crime against a person who ought to be voting in their place.”

So why Watford?

The move comes after reports of alleged electoral fraud through voter impersonation more than doubled between 2014 and 2016, according to figures from the Electoral Commission. 

Mr Harrington said: “Demographically, Watford reflects the United Kingdom in so many ways. It’s like a mini UK – in population, ethnicity, occupation, age.

“Given the Government wanted to pilot it, it seemed logical for Watford to be one of the first places to do it.

Mayor of Watford Dorothy Thornhill said: “It’s because we’re bold.”

She added: “Watford volunteered and was selected to take part in the pilot because we run our elections so smoothly. And while we may not have a problem with electoral fraud in our town, we want to make sure that with these crucial Mayoral elections coming up, the system we’re using is completely above board.

“Please do remember to keep and bring your poll card on May 3. The new Elected Mayor of Watford will shape our town for years to come, so have your say by using your vote. Don’t forget that you can put down a first and second choice when voting for the new Mayor.”

Mr Lewis, who is also Returning Officer for the council, said: “The voter ID pilot is really straightforward - before people cast their vote in Watford, they will simply need to show their poll card. In case people forget or lose these, they can show alternative ID – all the information is on the website at watford.gov.uk/voterid.”