Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station after he forgot to bring his ID to vote in local elections in the UK.
British media reported on Friday that polling station staff in south Oxfordshire told Johnson on Thursday – who introduced a requirement for voters to present photo ID when he was in office – that he would not be able to vote without proof of your identity.
Sky News reported that Johnson, who served as Conservative Prime Minister from 2019 to 2022, was later able to cast his vote and voted for the Conservatives.
Johnson introduced election law requiring photo ID in 2022, and the new law was first implemented last year in local elections. But Thursday was the first time that a large number of voters in England and Wales had to present identification, such as a passport or driving licence, to vote.
The Electoral Commission said the vast majority of people were able to meet the new requirements, although it noted that some people who wanted to vote may have decided not to try because they did not have acceptable identification.
He also noted that there was evidence that some people, such as people with disabilities or the unemployed, found it more difficult to show voter ID.
