NEARLY 300 people were turned away at the polling stations covering the Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole area for this summer’s general election. 

Newly published figures from the Electoral Commission show 285 people had to be turned away from the polling booths on July 4. 

Of those people, 73 did not return to cast their vote, including 14 in Poole where the election had to be recounted three times and fell to a Labour lead of just 18 votes. 

In Mid Dorset and North Poole 65 voters were initially turned away from the 53 polling stations, with 50 returning and 15 staying at home. 

For Bournemouth East, 77 voters were turned away but 60 returned and 17 and in Bournemouth West, 52 voters were turned away but 37 returned. 

And in Christchurch, 38 were turned away, but while 27 of these returned to vote, 11 did not. 

Since May 2023, voters have needed to show photo ID to vote in UK parliamentary elections, and for local elections and referendums in England. 

The move has proved controversial, with some groups saying it may make voting harder for younger people and ethnic minorities, who are less likely to have a valid form of photo ID. 

Across Great Britain 50,000 people were initially turned away due to not having valid ID, with 16,000 people not returning to vote. 

However, some polling stations did not submit data on the number of people unable to vote, so the true figure may be higher. 

While this was a small proportion of the nearly 20 million people who voted at polling stations, the Electoral Commission warned some may have been put off voting by the new rules. 

Electoral Commission chief executive Vijay Rangarajan said: "This was the first time all voters across the UK were required to show photographic ID at a general election, and the data shows almost everyone was able to do so successfully. 

"However, our research shows that the need for ID discouraged some people from voting – and we don’t want to see any voters lose their say." 

Polling for the organisation suggests 71 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds are aware of the rules, compared to 91 per cent for those aged 45 and over. 

Mr Rangarajan added: "Everyone eligible should have the opportunity to vote, which is why we are recommending changes that will support those who do not currently have ID and improve the accessibility of elections, while maintaining the security of the process."