Figures have shown that 87 people in Filton and Bradley Stoke were not able to vote in the July general election after being turned away from their polling station due to a lack of suitable ID.
Since May 2023, it has been the law that voters must show photo identification in order to vote. However, the move has been met with criticism by some groups who say it provides a barrier to voting for younger people and those from ethnic minorities who are less likely to have an accepted form of photo ID.
Of the 87 people in the Filton and Bradley Stoke constituency who were turned away from the polling stations, 61 later returned to vote having found suitable photo ID while 26 people did not return and were therefore unable to vote.
However, not all polling stations submitted data on the number of people unable to vote, so the true figure may be higher.
Overall, 37,029 people voted at the 55 polling stations across Filton and Bradley Stoke in the July 4 elections.
Electoral Commission chief executive Vijay Rangarajan said: “This was the first time all voters across the UK were required to show photographic ID at a general election, and the data shows almost everyone was able to do so successfully. However, our research shows that the need for ID discouraged some people from voting – and we don’t want to see any voters lose their say.”