Almost 30,000 people without ID could be denied right to vote in Northants

Tens of thousands of people across Northamptonshire could be turned away from voting in the upcoming UK General Election because they don't have a valid form of ID. More than 1.9 million people nationally are also thought to be affected by the new voting procedure.

For the first general election since the new identification rules were announced, anyone who turns up to the polling station on July 4 will have to show their ID before they are allowed to cast their vote. According to data from Survation and Royal Holloway, University of London, more than 28,000 people in the county could be disenfranchised because of the new voting laws.

In total, this makes up an estimated 5.1 per cent of the Northamptonshire electorate who are at risk of being denied their right to vote on their MP. The proportion is far higher in some areas, with the percentage of registered voters without proper ID almost triple the regional average.

In the Kingsthorpe North ward of Northampton, an estimated 15 per cent of constituents could face being turned away due to the new rules, affecting more than 1,300 people.

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Similarly, in Daventry West 13.3 per cent of people (1,152) would currently be unable to vote, along with another 1,178 in Higham Ferrers, totalling 13.2 per cent of its electorate.

More than 10 per cent of people registered to vote in the Clover Hill and Ise wards in Kettering and the Talavera ward in Northampton will also face the same barriers on election day.

Chris Hanretty, Professor of Politics at Royal Holloway, University of London, which helped analyse the data, said: "The vast majority of registered voters have photo ID, but a small proportion don't, and that small proportion gets bigger in some areas.

“If just a few of these voters without ID turn up to vote, we can expect lots of stories about people being disenfranchised."

Acceptable forms of ID include passports, driving licenses, blue badges, identity cards with PASS marks and some older/disabled people concessionary travel cards. A full list can be viewed here.

In its statutory report, produced in September 2023, the Electoral Commission found that some people found it harder than others to show accepted voter ID, including disabled people, younger voters, people from ethnic minority communities, and the unemployed.

If you don't have any acceptable forms of photo ID that are listed above, or you think that your photo ID no longer resembles you, you can apply for a free Voter ID document. To be issued the Voter Authority Certificate in time, you must be a registered voter and apply by 5pm on June 26, 2024.

You can fill out the forms for free online or apply by post. West Northamptonshire Council also has an option to arrange an appointment to apply in person in their council office locations, for people who may need further assistance.