Dozens of people in Dwyfor Meirionnydd did not return to vote after being turned away at the polling station at the general election.

Since May 2023, voters have needed photo ID to vote in UK parliamentary elections, and local elections and referendums in England.

New figures from the Electoral Commission show 161 voters were initially turned away from polling stations in Dwyfor Meirionnydd due to ID rules in the general election this July.

While 104 of these returned to vote, 57 did not.

The organisation cautions the true number may be higher, as some voters may have been told about the ID requirement by staff before they asked for a ballot, and therefore would not have been recorded as being turned away.

In total, 58,755 people voted at 121 polling stations in Dwyfor Meirionnydd.

Across Great Britain 50,000 people were initially turned away due to not having valid ID, with 16,000 people not returning to vote.

However, some polling stations did not submit data on the number of people unable to vote, so the true figure may be higher.

While this was a small proportion of the nearly 20 million people who voted, the Electoral Commission warned some may have been put off voting.

Electoral Commission chief executive Vijay Rangarajan said: "This was the first time all voters across the UK were required to show photographic ID at a general election, and the data shows almost everyone was able to do so successfully.

"However, our research shows that the need for ID discouraged some people from voting – and we don’t want to see any voters lose their say."

Polling for the organisation suggests 71 per cent of 18 to 24-year-olds are aware of the rules, compared to 91 per cent for those aged 45 and over.

In addition, 76 per cent of people from ethnic minority communities were aware of the rules compared to 90 per cent of white people.

Mr Rangarajan continued: "Public awareness of the need for voter ID is high across the UK, but there are still groups of voters that are less likely to be aware of the need to show ID or that do not have an accepted form.

"Everyone eligible should have the opportunity to vote, which is why we are recommending changes that will support those who do not currently have ID and improve the accessibility of elections, while maintaining the security of the process."