Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from voting because he did not have the right photo ID, according to reports.
The Tory politician, whose government introduced the ID law, was initially turned away by staff in South Oxfordshire where there is an election to vote for a new Police and Crime Commissioner for Thames Valley, Sky News first reported.
A spokesman for Mr Johnson did not deny he had initially failed to bring ID when asked by the broadcaster but said he did manage to vote on Thursday.
Mr Johnson is not the only person to be caught out by the new rules and Labour’s shadow veterans minister Steve McCabe calling for a “comprehensive review into this discredited policy” after what he described as “multiple problems” with it.
He spoke out after several former service personnel complained of being unable to use their veterans’ ID cards a valid form of voter identification.
Veterans minister Johnny Mercer apologised and vowed to “do all I can” to have it added to the list of valid identification.
A Number 10 spokeswoman said: “It is our intention for the new Veteran Card, which was rolled out in January, to be added to the official list.”
The Government is consulting on adding the card to the list of acceptable voter ID, which already includes armed forces identity cards.
Thursday’s election is the first time many voters in England and Wales have had to present ID to vote under provisions first rolled out at last year’s local elections.
Acceptable forms of ID include a passport, driving licence, Proof of Age Standards Scheme (Pass) cards, Blue Badges, and some concessionary travel cards.
After voting closed, the Electoral Commission said “most voters” were able to cast their ballots despite the ID requirements.
“Our initial assessment of the elections is that they were well-run, and millions of voters were able to exercise their democratic rights,” a spokesman said.
“This is a testament to the efforts of electoral administrators, who work tirelessly to ensure the smooth delivery and integrity of polls.
“A number of new measures from the Elections Act were in force at these elections, including voter ID for the first time in Wales and parts of England. The electoral community has been working hard to prepare voters for these changes. Most voters who wanted to vote were able to do so.
“We will now begin to collect evidence from voters, electoral administrators, partner organisations, and campaigners to understand their experiences of the elections and identify any potential obstacles to participation.”
