BOLTON will ask to be part of a scheme to trial new voter ID measures at polling booths.

The council resolved on Wednesday night to ask the government to include Bolton as one of the local authorities that will pilot the scheme at the next local elections in 2018.

Cllr John Walsh proposed the motion to test the anti-fraud measures, which will require voters to provide proof of identity when they visit their polling station.

Cllr Kevin McKeon told the town hall meeting on Wednesday that he wanted to trial the system to back up his views that Bolton is relatively free of electoral fraud.

He added: “One of my fears is that increases in security measures might deter some voters and a pilot scheme would confirm if this is true.”

Cllr Bilkis Ismail suggested that, after the controversy over postal voting in the Crompton by-election last year, the council should “go one step further” and cancel all current postal vote registration in the borough.

Lib Dem councillor Andrew Martin, who abstained from the vote, said: “If we were to require photo ID, my worry is that some of the poorest people in Bolton don’t have driving licences or passports.

“By introducing photo ID, there is a potential for a tax on voting.

“This, to me, is unacceptable.”