First elections with voter ID 'well run', but some stopped from voting, officials say

The first elections with voter ID were 'well run', but some people have not been able to vote because of the new law, the Electoral Commission has said. The independent organisation which oversees elections across the country has said it will now be looking at how the new policy has worked in practice.

But one Manchester councillor has called for new voter ID law to be scrapped. It comes after voting closes in the first year that people have been required to present photo identification at polling stations in all local elections in England.

The Electoral Commission thanked staff who have 'worked hard' to prepare for the implementation of the new measure. But the orgnisation said that the new ID requirement 'posed a greater challenge for some groups' and that some people were 'regrettably' unable to vote today (May 4) as a result.

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In a statement published after polls closed at 10pm, an Electoral Commission spokesperson said: "These were the first set of polls to take place since the voter ID requirement came into force. Our initial assessment is that overall, the elections were well run.

"Across the country, votes were cast throughout the day and in line with the law. This is in large part thanks to the dedication of electoral administrators, who have worked hard to prepare for today and for the implementation of this new measure.

“Confidence in the overall picture, however, should not overlook other impacts which can only be revealed through detailed data collection and analysis over the coming weeks. We already know from our research that the ID requirement posed a greater challenge for some groups in society, and that some people were regrettably