Only 10,000 people in UK have applied for government-issued voter ID

Exclusive: number is just 0.5% of people who potentially need the document, Guardian learns

Only about 10,000 people have applied for a government-issued voter ID since the scheme opened, just 0.5% of the total who potentially need the document, the Guardian has learned.

The slow take-up, which could leave hundreds of thousands of people disenfranchised at local elections in May, will adds to worries that the scheme is being rushed through and could cause chaos.