Former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson faced embarrassment on Thursday when he was turned away from a polling station for failing to bring photo identification, despite introducing the controversial requirement during his tenure.
Reports from British media revealed that Johnson, who attempted to vote in local elections in Oxfordshire, southern England, was initially denied entry due to his lack of ID.
While a spokesman confirmed that Johnson eventually voted Conservative, they did not refute claims that he initially failed to present photo ID.
During his time as prime minister, Johnson’s government implemented the photo ID requirement in 2022 as a measure to combat potential voter fraud. However, critics argued that the policy risked disenfranchising segments of the electorate, as voters were previously only required to provide their name and address.
Despite criticism, Johnson defended the new rules, stating in 2021 that it was reasonable to ask first-time voters to provide proof of identity.
In the first elections following the implementation of the ID requirement, approximately 14,000 individuals in England were denied voting rights due to their inability to provide ID.
The incident adds to Johnson’s colorful political history, which includes being stranded on a zip wire as London mayor and seeking refuge in a refrigerator during his time as prime minister.
A poll by YouGov revealed that 14% of Britons were still unaware of the voter ID requirement prior to Thursday’s elections.
In his column for the Daily Mail, Johnson recounted attempting to use a copy of Prospect magazine as identification before being redirected to retrieve his driving license, expressing gratitude to the vigilant polling station officials for upholding the ID requirement.
