"If [US] President [Barack] Obama has to sign for his ballot paper I can’t see why a British citizen shouldn’t," Pickles told the publication late Saturday, echoing Penrose’s sentiment.
The outlet says voters are currently required to provide their voting cards at polling stations to prove their identity when they vote.
The proposed changes would allow inspectors to check voters’ signatures against those given when they first registered to vote, the publication explains.
"The aim is to remind people that this is an important transaction and if they are impersonating and get caught there will be consequences – they will have signed for something and clearly forged someone’s signature," Pickles stressed.
The paper goes on to say a vote in the House of Commons is required to enact existing powers to force voters to provide signatures for ballot papers.
