Voter ID is a risky reform when 8m people are already missing from the electoral register

In a 2018 pilot, voters in a few areas will have to show some sort of identification at the polls – a major change to voting arrangements. Yet voter fraud is not widespread in the UK. Toby S James welcomes the fact the plans will be extensively piloted, but warns they will lead to more voters being turned away from polling stations. What’s more, they come at a time when eight million Britons are already missing from the electoral roll.