Team Blitz India
LONDON: Former UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from casting his vote at his local polling station after he forgot to bring the required photo identity.
While heading to the polling station to cast his vote, the Conservative politician was told by the polling station staff that he would not be allowed to vote in the police and crime commissioner election which was being conducted in South Oxfordshire.
Interestingly, it was Johnson himself who introduced the requirement to bring a photo ID. The requirement was introduced in the stipulation of the Elections Act he proposed in 2022 while he was holding the Prime Ministerial post. At that time, the British Electoral Commission warned that hundreds and thousands of people could be excluded from voting if such a law came into force. Johnson’s spokesperson confirmed that the former British premier indeed forgot the photo ID. However, he made it clear that Johnson came back with his ID and participated in the voting.
During his time in the office, Johnson introduced the Elections Act in 2022. Under the legislation, voters must bring a photographic ID to cast their ballot.
However, the legislation was criticised by not only the UK Election Commission but also several advocacy groups who argued that it could prevent hundreds of thousands of people from voting in a future general election.
They insisted that the people who are likely to be poorer, from minority ethnic backgrounds, and disabled will be impacted by the rule.
However, the law is likely to remain in place for the next UK general elections which are expected to be held this year. The EC pointed out that disenfranchising effect will affect elections.
