Former UK prime minister, Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station while trying to vote in the United Kingdom’s local elections after forgetting to bring his photo ID – a requirement Johnson introduced while prime minister.
Polling station staff were forced to turn Johnson away as he tried to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire on Thursday, May 2, PA media reported.
Johnson returned later with the ID and was able to vote.
New rules requiring photo ID to vote were introduced by Johnson’s Conservative government in the Elections Act 2022.
The law was widely criticized when it was introduced. The UK’s Electoral Commission warned in 2023 that the law could exclude hundreds of thousands of people from voting and particularly impact the unemployed or members of ethnic minorities.
Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station during the local elections for forgetting to bring his photo ID, which was a requirement introduced by Johnson himself during his tenure.
The incident happened in South Oxfordshire on May 2, and polling station staff refused to allow him to vote without the ID. Later, Johnson returned with his ID and successfully cast his vote.
Johnson’s Conservative government passed the Elections Act 2022, which included new rules requiring photo ID for voting.
However, the law faced criticism because the UK’s Electoral Commission warned in 2023 that it could potentially exclude hundreds of thousands of people from voting, especially those from ethnic minorities or the unemployed.
