RESIDENTS are being urged to check their have the right ID so they can vote in next month’s general election.
Reading Borough Council says 115 people were unable to vote due to not having permitted forms of identity, such as a photocard driving licence or a passport.
Initially, 316 voters were unable to cast their vote, but 201 of them returned.
The Government’s Voter ID requirement will be in place for the July 4 general election.
It is possible to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate, and expired ID can be used as long as the voter is recognisable from the picture.
A full list of the ID which can be found on the Electoral Commission website.
Michael Graham, acting returning officer for Reading Borough Council, said: “With the General Election now around the corner, we are urging everyone who intends to vote at a polling station on July 4 to remember to bring their ID.
“Remember, election staff have no option but to turn away residents who do not have an acceptable form of photo ID with them, and where that is the case we of course will ask them to return with the right ID but we know some residents don’t always do that.”
This election will be the first for new constituency boundaries as well.
The Reading Central constituency covers most of the borough.
Those in Kentwood, Norcot and Tilehurst wards are in the Reading West and Mid Berkshire constituency, and those in Church and Whitley wards have been placed in the Earley and Woodley constituency.
The deadline for registering to vote in the General Election is 11.59pm on Tuesday June 18, and residents can do that online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
The alternative to voting in person at a polling station, and having to show Voter ID, is to vote by post, or to appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on June 19.
The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is one week later, 5pm on June 26.
For more details, log on to: https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote or: https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote
To find a polling station, visit: https://wheredoivote.co.uk/
