Millions of younger people could be turned away from polling stations due to voter ID requirements

52% of all voters under 40 remain unaware of the new requirements.

Voting Ballot Box

Millions of younger people could be turned away from polling stations during the local elections this May, after a new poll found that most people under 40 are unaware of a new law requiring them to bring photographic ID to polling stations.

The poll, carried out by Byline Times, found that 52% of all voters under 40 remain unaware of the new requirements. The youngest voters are particularly impacted, with 63% of voters between the ages of 18 and 24 as of yet unaware of the new requirements.

The Tories have been accused of gerrymandering and ‘legalised voter suppression’ after bringing in the requirements for voter ID from this May. The government says the measures have been bought in to combat fraud and ensure the integrity of UK elections, however the latest tracker of public opinion on the issue, found that 90 percent believe that voting at the polling station is safe, according to the Electoral Commission.

In 2019, the last general elections year, there were only 33 allegations of impersonation at the polling station, out of over 58 million votes cast.

According to the government’s own figures, two million voters do not currently hold a piece of photographic ID. The latest data shows that just 10,000 people, (0.5%) of the two million people in the UK who lack the correct forms of ID have applied for a government-issued voter ID since the scheme opened.

When it comes to the forms of ID that are considered acceptable, younger voters are at a particular disadvantage. Six of the Government-accepted IDs are specifically targeted at older people, while almost none are aimed at younger people, leading to accusations that the government is engaged in ‘legalised voter suppression’.

Meanwhile, those from ethnic minority communities are at particular risk of not being able to vote. According to 2021 census data, while three-quarters of those identifying as “White British” hold a full driving license, one of the forms of acceptable IDs, 38% of South Asian people and 48% of Black people do not.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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