At the close of polls on Thursday 4 May, an Electoral Commission
spokesperson said:
“These were the first set of polls to take place since the voter
ID requirement came into force. Our initial assessment is that
overall, the elections were well run. Across the country, votes
were cast throughout the day and in line with the law. This is in
large part thanks to the dedication of electoral administrators,
who have worked hard to prepare for today and for the
implementation of this new measure.
“Confidence in the overall picture, however, should not overlook
other impacts which can only be revealed through detailed data
collection and analysis over the coming weeks. We already know
from our research that the ID requirement posed a greater
challenge for some groups in society, and that some people were
regrettably unable to vote today as a result. It will be
essential to understand the extent of this impact, and the
reasons behind it, before a final view can be taken on how the
policy has worked in practice and what can be learnt for future
elections.
“The Commission has already started this work. We are collecting
data from polling stations about the numbers turned away and
returning, and carrying out national public opinion research to
collect data about voters’ experiences. Given the fundamental
role played by electoral administrators, it will also be vital
that we hear from them about their experiences of the day, as
well as other participants in the elections, including
candidates.”
Background
- The Commission expects to publish its initial analysis of the
implementation of voter ID in June, subject to data being
available.
- In September, we will publish our full report on the May 2023
elections. This report will feature further data, including the
reasons people were turned away, as well as turnout, postal
voting and rejected ballots. It will also provide analysis of
other aspects of the elections, including accessibility support
that was provided for voters in polling stations.
- The requirement to show photo ID at polling stations was
introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act and the detail
set out in secondary legislation which was passed in December
2022.
- In January, the Commission launched an integrated
communications campaign to raise awareness of the voter ID
requirement. The campaign saw a significant increase in public
awareness, rising from 22% of people being aware of the ID
requirement in December to 87% in the week before the polls.
- The Commission provided guidance and support to electoral
administrators to support them with preparing for and delivering
the polls. This included our polling station handbook, which
contains guidance on the new processes for checking voter ID.
