A total of 47 people were blocked from voting in May’s city council elections because they did not have the correct ID.
Worcester City Council has revealed the number of people who were unable to cast a vote on May 4 as part of a report into how controversial voter ID laws might have affected this year’s elections.
For the first time, voters in this year’s local elections were required to show photographic ID before casting their ballot.
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The council said 115 people had applied to vote but were not initially issued with a ballot paper because they did not show the correct photo ID, of which 68 people would later return with the correct identification and voted.
More than a quarter of people who were eligible to vote in person in Worcester on May 4 cast their ballots, according to the report which will be discussed by the council’s personnel and general purposes subcommittee at a meeting in the Guildhall on July 12.
Following the election, Labour became the biggest party on the city council after a disastrous night for the Tories which saw them lose seven seats.
Huge wins for the Greens across Worcester, including defeating Tory and city council leader Chris Mitchell, saw the party pick up four seats on its way to becoming the council's second-biggest party.
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Figures showed that 14,376 people out of the 50,744 eligible voters selected a preference to elect a city councillor on the day – around 28 per cent.
The council also said it received 286 applications for a free ‘voter authority certificate’ – which could be used at polling stations if the person did not have photo ID – and 243 were approved.
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The council said the 43 certificates not printed were either because the application was rejected or required further information and all potential voters were asked to submit a new application or provide more information.
Implementing the new changes totalled £15,300, according to the council, which was paid for partly using the nearly £53,000 given to the city by the government to cover the new election costs.
The remaining money must also cover next year’s local elections, where the whole council will be elected in one swoop rather than in thirds like in previous years, as well as any other elections in the meantime.
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