A campaign group has said the requirement for voter ID should be scrapped following a “significant number” of issues during yesterday’s local elections.
Unlock Democracy said the efforts to introduce the scheme “went very badly and that the new requirement for photo ID was “not necessary.”
For the first time, everyone voting in the local elections needed to present ID.
It was clear yesterday that many people didn’t know about the need for voter ID.
Other issues included voters not bringing the correct form of identification with them, or arriving with photographs of their ID, which were invalid.
The Electoral Commission its initial assessment is that “overall, the elections were well run” however “some people were regrettably unable to vote” because of the new requirement.
Yesterday, Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran tweeted her concern about “significant numbers” being rejected after learning about people without ID being unable to vote in her Oxford West and Abingdon constituency.
