UP to 25% of people in some English constituencies have reportedly been unable to cast their ballot in the local elections due to not having valid photo ID, with Scots now being urged to make sure they are prepared for next year's General Election.
Politicians south of the Border have been tweeted their concerns about voters being turned away from polling stations as the new policy was enforced for the first time.
Voters are now required to show photo ID – such as a driving licence or passport – before casting a ballot for local elections in England and Wales and for General Elections across the UK, but many have hit out at the UK Government for failing to raise awareness of the change brought in to allegedly reduce electoral fraud.
Polling station tellers in Oxfordshire told ITV News "large numbers" had been turned away, reporting that between 10 to 25% had been unable to vote.
Labour MP for Kemptown and Peacehaven, Lloyd Russell-Moyle, also tweeted to say he'd heard reports of people being unable to vote.
Of an estimated two million people without valid ID in England, just 89,500 have so far registered for the alternative Voter Authority Certificate, according to government minister Baroness Scott of Bybrook.
Scots looking to visit polling stations for the General Election - set to be called next year - will have to have some form of acceptable ID on them.
Pete Wishart, SNP MP for Perth and North Perthshire, said the reports from England were "immensely disappointing" and urged people in Scotland to try and get a postal vote in next year's General Election to avoid issues.
He said: “I think this was inevitable. It was bound to happen with this new voter suppression that the Tories have introduced.
“I think all our worst fears have come home to roost with this. This is immensely disappointing news.
“Thankfully in Scottish Parliament elections people will not be subject to this mechanism but with regards to the General Election, the message loud and clear is get a postal vote if you can and if you can’t, be aware you will need voter ID at a polling station.
“We know that incidents of personation – where someone pretends to be someone else and votes for them – were so low and this really was a solution looking for a problem.”
More than 8,000 council seats in England are up for grabs on Thursday across 230 local authorities.
Final figures on voter ID will be collected by the Electoral Commission.
People who are unable to vote, either due to an emergency or because they've lost their ID can apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on polling day.
