MPs warn of confusion over 'true impact' of voter ID checks on election turnout

27 April 2023 , 14:12

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Voters will need to show identification for the first time during next week's local elections (Image: PA)

The true impact of new voter ID measures must be revealed once next week’s local elections have taken place, ministers were warned today.

Commons Levelling-up Select Committee chairman Clive Betts warned there may be confusion in counting numbers of people turned away for not bringing photo identification to polling stations on Thursday.

He said some councils will use “greeters” on the door to turn away voters without appropriate ID, while others will turn people away after speaking to a clerk inside polling stations.

The May 4 local elections will be the first time voters in Britain will be required to show identification to take part.

Labour backbencher Mr Betts said: "It will be important to know once the elections have taken place what the impact of the voter ID regulations has been."

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He added: "If someone actually gets to speak to a polling clerk and they're turned away, the numbers of total people doing that will be recorded.

Labour MP Clive Betts (Handout)

"But some authorities - because of the likelihood of concerns about confusion, about collection of people around polling stations - are going to have meeters, greeters, outside who will check in advance, perhaps when people are in a queue, whether they've got the required ID.

"Now, at that point what we don't know is whether people turned away then will have their numbers recorded, and that's the confusion."

He feared different systems would lead to confusing data on how many people had been denied a vote.

Communities Minister Rachel Maclean said greeters “will not be collecting the data”.

But she claimed: "We are very, very concerned to get this process of data collection correct and, as set out in the voter identification regulations, data collection will be taking place in polling stations via two forms - the ballot paper refusal list and the voter identification evaluation form."

Communities Minister Rachel Maclean (UK Parliament)

The Government has estimated that around 4% of the population are unlikely to have a valid form of photo ID to vote - the equivalent of just over two million people.

Acceptable forms of photo ID include a passport, driving licence and blue badges.

Free ID through a Voter Authority Certificate is also available, though the deadline for applications passed at 5pm on Tuesday.

The Mirror has launched a Get ID, Get a Vote campaign.

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Ben Glaze