At least 14,000 people could not vote in May elections because of voter ID requirement, Electoral Commission says

At least 14,000 (0.25%) people who tried to vote at a polling station in May 2023 were not able to because of the new voter ID requirement, interim analysis from the Electoral Commission has found.

The analysis from the Commission published this week (19 June) also showed that around 4% of all non-voters the Commission surveyed said they did not vote because of the voter ID requirement and that just 25,000 people used Voter Authority Certificates (VACs).

It added that there is evidence that "some people found it harder than others to show accepted voter ID, including disabled people and the unemployed".

The Commission stated that 87% of people in England (excluding London, where there were no elections) were aware before polling day that they needed to show photo ID to vote.

But awareness varied across the population and was lowest among younger age groups (82% for 18 to 24-year-olds), Black and minority ethnic communities (82%) and those who said they never vote in local elections (84%).

Awareness was significantly lower among people who said they did not have an accepted form of ID (74%) compared with those who did have ID (94%).

Approximately 89,500 people applied for a VAC before the deadline on 25 April, but only around 25,000 certificates were used as a form of ID on 4 May, the Commission said.

The Commission added that these figures are low when compared with estimates of the number of voters who might not have any other accepted ID (250,000 to 300,000).

The Commission said there are several areas where further analysis is "necessary to establish a clearer and fuller picture and they are highlighted through the report". It will publish a full report on the May 2023 elections in September.

Despite the preliminary nature of the analysis, the Commission did make a recommendation for the Government to ensure that Returning Officers are able to collect and report monitoring data on the impact of voter ID in future elections.

It also said that work is needed to improve the quality and reliability of data collected at polling stations in the future.

Responding to the Commission's report, Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association, said: "It is a fundamental part of the democratic process that elections can run smoothly and effectively where every citizen is able to exercise their right to vote. It is therefore of concern to councils that this review has found that some groups may have been more impacted than others by the introduction of Voter ID, with a small number being left unable to vote.

"Councils know their communities best and with the right resources are a key part of the solution to tackle a lack of awareness of Voter ID requirements in local areas. This is particularly important as we approach a potential general election, where turnout will likely be much higher."

He noted that the LGA looks forward to hearing the Electoral Commission's forthcoming recommendations and hopes that the Government acts "decisively to address any concerns the Commission raise".

Adam Carey