Police forces have been alerted to the risk of a spike in disputes and confrontations at the forthcoming local elections, amid concern that new voter ID rules will provoke rows in polling booths across England. Polling station staff are being trained to de-escalate heated situations expected to arise next month, when many more people than usual are likely to be turned away as a result of new identity checks. It is understood that government officials and councils have warned police forces about possible problems created by rule changes implemented for May’s local elections. All eligible adults will need to show photo identification at polling stations. Those without photo ID can apply for a special voter certificate until Tuesday, but fears remain that thousands of people who wish to vote may be turned away. It has left councils facing a major challenge to find election day volunteers, who may be forced to challenge more voters over their ID. Additional training, and informal talks with police, are among the ways in which they hope to avoid chaotic scenes. Insiders said there had been a “ramping up” of preparations that usually take place for a general election. “Those conversations between chief executives, the returning officers and the heads of the local police forces have taken place,” said Peter Stanyon, the chief executive of Association of Electoral Administrators. “In local areas, differences of approach will be taken depending on what the risk assessments may be. It might be area cars available at the drop of a hat. It will vary from place to place, depending on the local circumstances. “You’d hope those who get turned away are not going to take it out on the staff. But ultimately, it will come down to a case-by-case basis. It’s an almost impossible thing to control.” Ministers insist that the changes are necessary, despite the fact that in-person voter impersonation is virtually unknown in the UK. But critics warn that while about 50,000 people have applied for the certificate, the number of voters without the necessary ID is thought to be about 2 million. Demands for the implementation of the change to be delayed have been rejected by ministers. Former Tory cabinet minister David Davis is among those calling for a delay. There are also concerns that the true number of people turned away as a result of the new rules will be underestimated. The government has committed to review the system to see how many are refused under the new rules. Many councils plan to check that people have the right documents as they are queueing to vote. Anyone turned away before they reach the front desk may not be counted as having been turned away.
Kevin Bentley, the Tory leader of Essex county council and chairman of the Local Government Association’s people and places board, said it remained challenging to deliver the “biggest change to in-person voting in 150 years”. “Raising public awareness of these new requirements is vital,” he said. “Councils across [England] are working in innovative ways to highlight these changes. However, we remain concerned about the potential for electoral staff to be overwhelmed with inquiries and voter authority certificate applications now polling cards have been issued, and that some councils may struggle to recruit sufficient staff for polling stations.” A government spokesperson said: “We cannot be complacent when it comes to ensuring our democracy remains secure. Photo identification has been used in Northern Ireland elections since 2003. The vast majority of people already have a form of acceptable identification. We’re urging anyone who doesn’t to apply for a free voter authority certificate as soon as possible and we expect more people to apply before the deadline. We’re working closely with the sector to support the rollout and funding the necessary equipment and staffing for the change in requirements.”