Boris Johnson, former British prime minister, who as PM introduced a need for voters to show photo Identification while voting, was turned away from a polling station on Thursday after he forgot to bring his ID, according to media reports.
Johnson introduced the Elections Act requiring photo ID in 2022. As per the media reports, Johnson attempted to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire, where a police and crime commissioner for the Thames Valley was being selected. However, he was turned away.
A spokesperson for Johnson told Politico that the former PM was turned away at the first attempt but did say he managed to cast his ballot.
Voters must bring a photo ID to cast their ballot under the Elections Act. A few other provisions of the act include such as extending the current imprint rules onto digital election material and tightening spending limits on third parties.
‘The act was proved to be controversial, with fears that it would prove a deterrent to voting, particularly among disadvantaged groups’, as per the media reports.
In 2023, the Electoral Commission warned the act could exclude hundreds of thousands of people, including those with disabilities and from minority ethnic backgrounds.
The commission found out that in local elections in May 2023, 14,000 people were not able to vote because they did not have acceptable ID. In the UK, the acceptable forms of voter ID include passports, driving licences, and certain local travel cards.
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