FRESH fears have been voiced over the potential for intimidation at the polls in Bradford, after one peer spoke of his own experiences of elections in the district.
Liberal Democrat Peer Lord Wallace of Saltaire was speaking during a recent House of Lords debate on the Elections Bill when he raised the issue of extra security costs at polling stations.
He said that while preparing for the discussion on the bill, he went to talk to the electoral registration team in Bradford.
"One of the strongest messages that came from them was that a significant number of poll clerks in Bradford were young women.
"We all know that intimidation is the most frequent election problem in parts of Bradford.
"When faced with rather aggressive men of one sort or another whose identity is being challenged, young women are going to feel very unsafe.
"This will require extra staffing and police."
He later told the Telegraph & Argus that he had drawn on his own experiences, both directly and indirectly in taking part in many elections, when he referenced intimidation at the polls in Bradford.
"This will of course become a national problem; most polling stations have a small number of staff, often female, and no police attached."
He then added that voter ID requirements will "discourage poorer and younger voters, who are most likely not to have the relevant documents required, from voting".
There is very little evidence that pretending you are someone else and voting instead of them is a problem in Bradford, or in almost all other areas around the country, he added.
The T&A also approached Bradford Council over the issues Lord Wallace raised.
Susan Saunders, the Council’s electoral services manager, said: “Our discussions with Lord Wallace of Saltaire were in connection with the forthcoming Elections Bill and the measures included within the Bill. No discussion took place with officers regarding poll clerks or intimidation, so it may be that those discussions were held with others and mistakenly attributed to Bradford.
“The Returning Officer, Police and Electoral Commission work in partnership in respect of elections. The integrity of the democratic process is taken very seriously and all necessary steps within the law to protect democracy will be in place. This includes dealing with any allegations of intimidation of voters or candidates.”
The next elections in the district are for a third of the seats on Bradford Council, which are taking place on May 5.
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