Thousands Voters Prevented from Voting Due to Identity Verification Regulations, According to Oversight Report
The Electoral Commission, Britain's independent body that oversees elections and regulates political finance, has released an interim report detailing concerns surrounding the photo ID policy implemented for the first time in May's elections. According to the report, around 14,000 people were prevented from voting in England's local elections due to the photo ID requirement. This figure is based on incomplete data received from 226 out of 230 councils where polls were held this year. The Commission's initial evidence suggests that the voter ID policy disproportionately affects people who have disabilities or are unemployed, and there is some correlation with factors such as ethnicity. The commission warns of concerning signs that voters with these characteristics could be disproportionally affected. The head of the Commission's policy, Craig Westwood, stated that the majority of voters presented an accepted form of ID during the May elections. However, a significant number of people did not attempt to vote because they lacked the required ID. People who lacked ID were less likely to know they needed to show it. Some people were prevented from voting in polling stations due to the photo ID requirement. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, despite welcoming the report, stated that 99.75% of voters were able to cast their vote successfully. Experts found that 4% of people who did not vote in the elections did so because of the voter ID policy, which could amount to hundreds of thousands more. The Commission estimates that the true number of people denied the right to vote could be higher, as some who were turned away at polling stations were not formally recorded. Despite these findings, overall awareness of the photo ID requirement was high and achieved in a matter of months. The Commission plans to publish its full election report in September, which will examine demographic factors in more detail. The Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities expressed confidence in the ability of local authorities to implement the photo ID changes while continuing to deliver elections robustly and securely. However, the commission's report raises questions about the potential impact of the policy on certain groups of voters. As of now, the organization planning to release a comprehensive report on the British election 2021 in September is not explicitly mentioned in the provided search results. The report will provide a more comprehensive analysis of the elections, including the voter ID policy and its impact on various demographic groups.
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