ABOUT 10 million voters could be disenfranchised in Thursday’s local elections because they are not aware that they must produce photo-based indentification at polling stations before they are allowed to vote.

A poll by anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate found that almost a quarter of voters are unaware of the new government regulation forcing voters to produce photo ID.

It also found that younger voters and ethnic minority voters are disproportionately more likely to be unaware.

With the support of the National Education Union, the group has produced an interactive online map identifying the proportion of voters unaware of the new rules in each Parliamentary constituency.

NEU joint general secretary Kevin Courtney said the poll findings is deeply concerning, adding: “It is clear that the new photo ID rules introduced by the government could suppress the vote at this and future elections.

“The government is responsible for bringing in these misguided changes.

“It now needs to take responsibility for making sure that young people and voters from [black, Asian and minority ethnic] backgrounds in particular are aware of the new rule so people don’t lose their right to vote.”

The Electoral Reform Society has said that the new regulation is a barrier to democracy and that in the United States a similar ploy had been found to disproportionately disadvantage already marginalised groups.

The campaigning organisation said the rule was an expensive distraction that would cost taxpayers £180 million over the next decade.

“Voting is safe and secure in Britain, and public confidence in the running of elections is the highest since 2012,” it said.

“Evidence from around the world shows that forcing voters to bring photographic ID to the polling station just makes it harder for people to vote while doing little to increase faith in the integrity of the system.”

Campaign group Good Law Project said on Sunday that it plans to bring forward a legal challenge over the new rules.

Executive director Jo Maugham called the new rules “a needless act of sabotage against the universality of the franchise.

“On the evidence, they cannot be explained otherwise than as an attempt to deny those likely to vote against the government the ability to do so,” she said.

“They need to be challenged, in court. And this is exactly what we plan to do.”