96 people were turned away from polling stations in the Rochdale borough due to new voter ID rules

Locally, 252 people were initially turned away at polling stations, but 156 returned with accepted ID and were able to vote

A total of 96 people were turned away and prevented from voting at polling stations in the Rochdale borough because of the new ID requirements at the local elections earlier this month.

The new rule requiring that people voting at polling stations present an accepted form of photo identification – such as a driving licence or passport – came into force for the first time in all local elections across England on 4 May. The government says the measure was put in place to prevent voter fraud.

However, critics warned that the move would stop some people voting.

Now, the number of voters who were turned away for this reason can be revealed.

A total of 3,881 people were turned away at polling stations across nine of the 10 Greater Manchester councils which have shared the verified data so far. Of these, voters 2,478 returned later with an accepted ID and were able to vote.

Locally, 252 people were initially turned away at polling stations, but 156 returned with accepted ID and were able to vote. This means 96 were not issued with a ballot paper by 10pm.

When polls closed on 4 May, the Electoral Commission said that the elections were ‘well run’, but confirmed that some people were unable to vote as a result of the new ID requirement. The independent body said a review is under way.

A Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities spokesperson said: “It’s vital we keep our democracy secure, prevent the potential for voter fraud, and bring the rest of the UK in line with Northern Ireland which has had photo identification to vote in elections since 2003. This follows successful pilots in 2018 and 2019, including in Woking where over 99% of people were able to successfully cast their vote.

“Following local elections in May, it is essential that we understand how voter identification has operated in practice. Extensive analysis of the data collected from polls is now being undertaken by the Electoral Commission and the Government, with final reports set to be published later this year.”

Joseph Timan, Local Democracy Reporting Service