Controlled voting identification regulations prevented more than 10,000 individuals from casting their votes, according to an oversight board's findings.
The Electoral Commission has released an interim study on England's local elections, raising concerns about the impact of the voter ID policy that was rolled out for the first time in Britain this May.
According to the report, approximately 14,000 people were prevented from voting due to the voter ID requirement. This figure is based on incomplete data from 226 of the 230 councils where polls were held this year.
The commission head of policy, Craig Westwood, stated that the evidence suggests that the majority of voters were able to present an accepted form of ID at the May elections. However, he also noted that initial evidence suggests that voter ID disproportionately affects people who have disabilities or are unemployed, with some correlation also apparent with factors such as ethnicity.
People who lacked ID were less likely to know they needed to show it, which could mean at least 400,000 people decided not to vote because of the new rules, according to experts. This is based on the assumption that the total electorate and turnout for May's elections would be similar to previous years.
The commission will examine demographic factors in a broader report in September. In the meantime, the commission warns of 'concerning' signs that voters with disabilities, people who are unemployed, or those from ethnic backgrounds could be disproportionally affected by the policy.
A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities welcomed the report, stating that 99.75% of voters were able to cast their vote successfully. The spokesperson also expressed confidence in the ability of local authorities to implement the changes while continuing to deliver elections robustly and securely.
Overall awareness of the voter ID requirement was high and was achieved in a matter of months. However, the commission stated that the true figure of people denied the right to vote might be higher due to unrecorded instances at polling stations.
The commission plans to publish its full election report in September, which will provide a more comprehensive understanding of the impact of the voter ID policy on England's local elections.
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