More than 200 people were turned away from voting at polling stations across Bolton at the last election because of new ID rules. Last July’s general election was the first time voters were required by law to take photo ID like driving licences or passports to polling booths with them to vote. But findings from the electoral commission have shown that 216 people from across Bolton’s three constituencies were turned away because of this rule.
Bolton Council leader Cllr Nick Peel said: “What the figures don’t show here is the number of people who didn’t go to the polling station at all because they didn’t have ID.” Cllr Peel said that while campaigning in Breightmet during the last election he encountered several people who were put off voting for this reason. Counting underway on election night (Image: Phil Taylor) Before election day on July 4 Bolton Council issued various warnings saying that people would need to bring photo ID with them, But the Electoral Commission found that in Bolton North East 51 people were turned away on election day and that 19 of them did not return later on.
In Bolton West 84 people turned away with 33 not returning later on, while in Bolton South and Walkden 81 were turned away with 26 not returning. This means that across the three constituencies 216 people were turned away to begin with and that of them, 78 did not return to vote at all. None of this would have been enough to effect the outcomes in the three seats, but people being.