Former UK PM Boris Johnson turned away from polling station after forgetting his ID card

Former UK prime minister, Boris Johnson was turned away from a polling station while trying to vote in the United Kingdom’s local elections after forgetting to bring his photo ID – a requirement Johnson introduced while prime minister.

Polling station staff were forced to turn Johnson away as he tried to cast his ballot in South Oxfordshire on Thursday, May 2, PA media reported.

Johnson returned later with the ID and was able to vote.

New rules requiring photo ID to vote were introduced by Johnson’s Conservative government in the Elections Act 2022.

The law was widely criticized when it was introduced. The UK’s Electoral Commission warned in 2023 that the law could exclude hundreds of thousands of people from voting and particularly impact the unemployed or members of ethnic minorities.