Boris Johnson Denied Voting Rights Due to Forgotten ID
By Caroline Ameh
Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson found himself unable to cast his vote in Thursday’s election after forgetting to bring photo identification, shedding light on the consequences of a policy he initiated during his tenure in Downing Street.
Reports from the polling station indicate that Johnson was informed by staff that he could not vote without providing proof of identity, in accordance with the Elections Act 2022, which mandates the presentation of photo ID.
Though Johnson was eventually able to rectify the situation and cast his vote, the incident underscores the challenges faced by voters as England and Wales implement ID requirements for the first time, following their introduction during last year’s local elections.
Accepted forms of identification include passports, driving licenses, Pass cards, Blue Badges, and certain concessionary travel cards. However, there has been controversy surrounding the exclusion of veterans’ ID cards from the list of valid voter identification.
Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer issued an apology to former service personnel who were turned away from polling stations, promising to advocate for the inclusion of veterans’ ID cards as valid forms of identification.
One such case involved Army veteran Adam Diver, who expressed feeling “gutted” after being denied the opportunity to vote despite presenting his Veteran Card. Diver, who served in the Army for 27 years, questioned the validity of his service being disregarded and emphasized the need for recognition of veterans’ IDs as official forms of identification.
The government has acknowledged the oversight and is considering adding the Veteran Card to the list of acceptable voter IDs. Downing Street stated that while only 0.25% of potential voters were turned away for lacking proper documentation, the incident has sparked broader discussions about the implementation of voter ID requirements.
