A total of 24 voters were turned away from polling stations in Lichfield district earlier this month because they did not have the correct ID, council chiefs have revealed.
Changes introduced for the first time ahead of the local elections meant residents needed either approved photographic identification or a voter authority certificate.
Cllr Hugh Ashton, Lib Dem member for Stowe ward, had raised the issue in a written question to the leader of Lichfield District Council about the impact the new procedure may have had.
“Can the leader now provide the total number of such applications [for voter authority certificates] made to this council prior to the cutoff date, together with a list, by polling station, of the number of would-be voters inLichfield district who were initially turned away and prevented from voting as a result of their lacking any identification, or identification meeting the requirements of the recent legislation?
“In addition, can he provide a similar list of the numbers of those who were initially turned away and who subsequently returned with appropriate identification?”
Cllr Hugh Ashton, Lichfield District Council
In a response, Cllr Doug Pullen said there had been 109 applications made for voter authority certificates.
He added:
“On polling day 24 electors were initially turned away. Of these individuals, 16 later returned with accepted ID and were subsequently issued with a ballot paper.
“The Electoral Commission has advised that while we can provide overall totals, we are not permitted to publish data on individual polling stations.”
Cllr Doug Pullen, Lichfield District Council
