Residents urged to prepare for new voter ID rules being introduced in May

The council expects the new rules to disenfranchise the poorest residents

Residents are being urged not to lose their right to vote when new rules requiring photo ID at the ballot box are introduced.

From May, voters will have to show documents such as a passport, driving licence, 60+ Oyster photocard or Freedom card.

Hackney Council campaigned against the government move as many residents do not have passports or driving licences.

Town Hall bosses told a parliamentary committee: “We expect the proposed voter ID regulations to have a particularly negative impact on turnout in Hackney, broadening inequality in voter turnout.

“This is due to the lower levels of passport and driving licence holders in the borough, the two most common forms of photo ID.”

The council said it is costly to obtain some of these documents and could lead to the poorest residents being disenfranchised.

It is thought that 47 per cent of households in Hackney do not have a driving licence and 28 per cent of voters do not have a UK passport, with seven per cent not holding any passport.

People who do not have suitable documents can apply for a free voter authority certificate and must also be registered to vote.

They will need to provide proof of identity and can apply online or send a from to the council’s electoral registration office.

Turnout at last May’s council elections in Hackney varied from 24.4 per cent in Hoxton East and Shoreditch to 49.2 per cent in Stamford Hill West.

In the 2019 general election, 61.5 per cent of voters turned out in Hackney North and Stoke Newington, with a 60.9 per cent turnout in Hackney South and Shoreditch.

The next London Assembly and Mayor of London elections are next year.

No date has been set for the next general election, but it has to be no later than January 2025.

Voters in Hackney will go the polls in 2026 to elect their councillors and mayor.

Other parts of the country have council elections this May.