Mark Whitehead 04 May 2018

Voters turned away from polling booths due to ID scheme

Would-be voters were turned away from polling booths for the first time in trials of controversial ID schemes designed to tackle electoral fraud.

Reports suggest some were not carrying the required documents while there was also some confusion over what evidence needed to be shown.

The scheme has been condemned by a wide range of bodies including the Electoral Reform Society which branded it a 'draconian measure which risks excluding many legitimate voters from our democracy.'

In Bromley, south-east London, the opposition Labour group said at least 13 people were turned away from one ward.

According to reports an experienced voting clerk had to turn away a man he knew personally as the would-be voter did not have the necessary documents.

Angela Wilkins, leader of the Labour group on Bromley council, said most people being turned away were reportedly from Crystal Palace, the most deprived and diverse part of the borough.

'We assume tallies are being taken about how many people are refused at each polling station, and if it turns out this is a particular problem in places like Crystal Palace it bears out some of the concerns we have raised,' she said.

However, Stuart Wilks-Heeg, an expert on electoral integrity at Manchester University, said the pilot appeared to be running smoothly at three polling stations in Woking where two people were turned away.

'Polling station staff were really well briefed and voters clearly knew about the requirements,' he said.

SIGN UP
For your free daily news bulletin
Highways jobs

Director of Social Work and Social Care

Trafford Council
£100,731 to £104,625
You will join a values-driven senior leadership team, providing visible and responsive leadership. Manchester
Recuriter: Trafford Council

Housing Ombudsman

Housing Ombudsman Service
£130,095 per annum, negotiable based on experience.
The Housing Ombudsman Service allows colleagues to choose if they wish to work in the London office, from home or a hybrid of the two London (Greater)
Recuriter: Housing Ombudsman Service

Director of Transport

Lancashire Combined County Authority
£90,897 to £ 99,840
The Director of Transport will provide effective and visible corporate leadership. Lancashire
Recuriter: Lancashire Combined County Authority

Assistant Director Strategy, Commissioning and Supply Management

East Sussex County Council
up to £113,000
With strong local communities, unspoilt countryside and vibrant coastal towns, East Sussex offers an exceptional quality of life to many. East Sussex
Recuriter: East Sussex County Council

Associate Director – Workforce & Learning

Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
£108,015 – £118,680 pa
Lead our workforce transformation. Empower our people. Shape our future. Dudley, West Midlands
Recuriter: Dudley Metropolitan Borough Council
Linkedin Banner