Low uptake for free voter ID scheme among elderly and young people in UK

Statistics suggest many older and younger people could be disenfranchised at England’s May local elections

Huge numbers of older voters could be disenfranchised at local elections in May after official data has shown that only 505 people aged 75-plus have applied for free voter identification documents in the month since the scheme launched.

Statistics for the numbers who have applied since the system opened on 16 January also showed that fewer than 6% of those seeking the document were aged under 25, another group seen as disproportionately likely to lack the necessary ID.