Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was temporarily barred from voting in the UK’s local elections on Thursday after forgetting to bring his identification.
According to British media reports, Johnson, who introduced the requirement for voters to provide photo ID during his tenure, was told by polling station staff in South Oxfordshire that he couldn’t vote without proof of identity.
However, Sky News reported that Johnson, who served as Conservative prime minister from 2019 to 2022, was later able to cast his ballot after producing the necessary ID and voted Conservative.
The Elections Act, introduced by Johnson in 2022, made photo ID mandatory for voting, and Thursday marked the first time large numbers of voters across England and Wales had to present ID to vote.
While the Electoral Commission stated that most people were able to meet the new requirements, it noted that some individuals may have opted not to vote due to lack of acceptable ID. Additionally, certain groups, such as the disabled and unemployed, faced difficulties in showing voter ID.
