Title

ELECTIONS

4.5% of voters without ID apply for certificate

Just 89,502 applications had been made before the deadline - representing 4.5% of the estimated two million people who do not possess photo ID required to vote in person.

Less than 5% of people thought to lack valid ID have applied for a voter authority certificate ahead of next week's elections.

Just 89,502 applications had been made before the deadline  - representing 4.5% of the estimated two million people who do not possess photo ID required to vote in person.

Fears of a last-minute surge that could swamp council staff did not materialise, reaching a national high of 4,877 on the final day.

However, the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) has reported a spike in postal vote applications this year, which is thought to be partly linked to the new voter ID rules.

AEA deputy chief executive Laura Lock said: ‘This may, in part, be due to people taking advantage of time away between consecutive bank holiday weekends, but in many areas political parties have been actively promoting absent voting options.'

Concerns remain over staff recruitment - a long-standing trend that has become more acute this year.

Ms Lock added: ‘Recruiting and training replacement staff becomes more problematic this close to polling day and election teams are working incredibly hard to keep numbers up for 4 May.'

Chair of the Levelling Up, Housing and Communities Committee, Clive Betts, has written to Electoral Commission chair John Pullinger to raise his concerns about the accuracy of data collection.

Mr Betts said recording the number of people turned away at the desk - rather than by any greeters outside polling stations - ‘presents a clear risk to the credibility of any recorded data and therefore any assessment of the true impact of voter ID on voter turnout'.

A spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities said voter ID was necessary to ‘keep our democracy secure' and ‘prevent the potential for voter fraud,' and the vast majority of voters already had an accepted form of identification.

They added: ‘The Government has also been working closely with local authorities and other partners to raise awareness, including a widespread public information campaign led by the Electoral Commission.'

ELECTIONS

LGR cannot stagger on as a zombie policy

By Jonathan Carr-West | 30 October 2026

Jonathan Carr-West says there’s clearly a sense in the sector that the window to get reorganisation back on track is rapidly closing, and it’s not clear this...

ELECTIONS

Why leaders need their people

By Manny Sandhu | 29 October 2026

Manny Sandhu outlines why the leaders who succeed are usually the ones who know who to ask, and that building a strong network is more important than ever

ELECTIONS

Cornwall silent on exit payments after chief executive and finance boss quit

By Neil Merrick | 27 October 2026

A council that lost its chief executive and chief finance officer within a month has refused to reveal whether either will receive exit payments.

ELECTIONS

Rowlands set to stay on until 2028

By Heather Jameson | 27 October 2026

Local Government Association (LGA) interim chief executive Jenny Rowlands will remain in the job until April 2028, the association has announced.

Martin Ford

Popular articles by Martin Ford

-->