Almost all Islanders brought a valid ID to a polling station when they went to vote in the General Election on 4th July 2024. The poll was the first Parliamentary Election since the introduction of photo-ID rules.
In Isle of Wight East:
- 38 people were turned away for not having a valid photo ID
- 16 of those people turned away subsequently returned with acceptable ID.
In Isle of Wight West:
- 35 people were turned away for not having a valid ID
- 21 of those people turned away subsequently returned with acceptable ID.
Across the Island
- An average of just one person per polling station across the Island did not initially bring a valid ID
- Only one in every thousand people who came to a polling station were unable to vote because they did not hold a valid ID – in other words, 99.9% of electors brought photo ID that met the voter ID requirements of the Elections Act 2022.
Shand: Less than 10 months away from an election for IWC seats
Isle of Wight Council’s Returning Officer, Claire Shand, said,
“We would like to thank the local media for helping get the message across about photo IDs, as well as information about registering to vote and how to apply for a postal vote.
“We also used the council’s own social media platforms and the combination of messages helped keep the numbers who couldn’t vote due to lack of ID down to a minimum.”
“However, we are less than 10 months away from an election for every seat on Isle of Wight Council and we would urge anyone who was unable to vote due to lack of photo ID that they can apply to us for a free photo ID that will be accepted at polling station in future elections.”
Information about acceptable IDs and how to apply for the free voter ID can be found on the council’s voter ID webpage.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
