Local elections in the United Kingdom: Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson walked away from the polling station after he forgot his ID card

CNN
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Boris Johnson was rejected from a Polling station While trying to vote in the UK Local elections After he forgot to bring a photo ID – a requirement he made when he was Prime Minister.

Palestinian Authority media reported that polling station staff had to turn the former prime minister away as he attempted to cast his vote in south Oxfordshire on Thursday.

Johnson later returned with the necessary identification and was able to vote.

Johnson's Conservative government has introduced new rules requiring photo ID to vote in the 2022 Election Act.

The law was widely criticized when it was introduced. United Kingdom Electoral Commission to caution In 2023, the law could exclude hundreds of thousands of people from voting and particularly affect the unemployed or members of ethnic minorities.

a a report A cross-party group of MPs warned in March that millions of voters faced disenfranchisement in the next general election due to the country's electoral registration system.

She said the voter ID requirement “left individuals who did not have the correct ID prevented from voting and only a number of forms of ID were allowed.”

Among those turned away from the polls Thursday was Army veteran Adam Diver, who said he was “frustrated” when he was unable to vote, as his veteran ID card was not accepted.

Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer apologized to the diver.

“The legislation on acceptable forms of identification was passed before veterans ID cards began being issued in January of this year. I will do my best to change it before the next date,” Mercer said.

Local elections were held across the country to choose more than 100 councils and several mayors on Thursday.

With about a third of the results announced, the loss of more than 100 local council seats and one parliamentary seat in by-elections indicates that the national elections, in which Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his party are narrowly trailing, are valid.

The results also mean that if a general election were held tomorrow, the opposition Labor Party would almost certainly win power.