Figures have shown that hundreds of voters were turned away during the Cambridge council elections earlier this month (04/05), after students expressed frustration at new voter ID rules.

The new requirements also posed issues for those who use forms of ID that are not recognised under the new requirements.

One international student said they had wrongly turned up to the polling station “thinking [their] non-UK passport would be a valid ID”. The student had to return later in the day, after retrieving an alternative form of identification.

Another student told Varsity that they knew trans and non-binary friends who would not be voting, over concerns that they would have had to have voted under deadnames or with ID that did not resemble their current appearance.

One student expressed their concern about how the new rules affected marginalised young voters, describing how friends at home on the Isle of Wight did not have ID as they could not drive or afford to get a passport, and would not be voting.

Although there was an option to apply for free ID in advance of the elections, several students were not aware of this.

Recently released council figures have reported that over 300 voters were turned away in Cambridge due to the new rules, with 126 not returning.

Other students shared opposition to the new rules, with one voter from Market Ward stating: “It seems like a slightly sinister way to prevent people from voting”.

Frustration with the new rules was mirrored across the country in some polling stations. Earlier this year, Parliament’s cross-party Joint Committee on Human Rights criticised the reforms, with concerns including the potential that changes will create barriers to minority group participation in elections.

The elections for the Cambridge City Council saw 14 of the city council’s 42 seats up for election and a by-election for the Castle Ward. Labour continued to hold Cambridge City Council. However, low turnout meant that only 39.3% of eligible voters actually went to the polls. This is only a minimal improvement from the last council elections in 2021, where turnout in England stood at 35.9%.

The Lib Dems and the Green Party also saw success in the three wards surrounding the university. While the introduction of the congestion charge in Cambridge proved to be a key concern for townies, students priorities were different.

One student told Varsity they were worried about “trans rights being under threat and populism on the rise”, saying that’s why “it’s really important to go out to vote even if it’s only a local election”.

Another student felt that it was “time for a change” from the Tories. Many student voters echoed a general sense of apathy with the current political climate.

Many students that Varsity spoke to lacked any strong feelings towards the election. Two bypassing students who had forgotten to register told Varsity they wished they had “been paying more attention”. Another student who did not vote said: “to be honest I don’t know who I’d even vote for. Is it today?”

At all of the polling stations visited by Varsity, officials said that they were not allowed to answer any questions about the voter ID laws, directing reporters to the council.