A council leader has accused the government of using a sledgehammer to crack a nut in forcing voters to have some photo identification when they go to polling stations next month.

The introduction of the checks has led some to forecast that turnout could be lower than anticipated as a result of voters being an aware of the requirement.

It is causing concern among some returning officers about the prospect of polling station officials having to make decisions that could lead to challenges.

There are related concerns about the number of people applying to work at polling stations - described by one councillor as “a huge problem”.

The councillor, who did not want to be named, said that district and borough councils were struggling to recruit people to man polling stations, saying that the payment they would get was low for a working day that started at 6am and ended at 10pm.

Swale council leader Mike Baldock said he was concerned that voters might be denied their chance to vote, leading to thousands being potentially disenfranchised.

A government contingency plan for those who had no photo ID, involving applying for a certificate verifying their name, has so far only led to a handful of applications.

Cllr Baldock says that while the authority was alive to the issue of photo ID documentation, there was only a limited amount that could be done to encourage take up.

He said: “Our returning officer has been talking to councils, talking to different groups to try and minimise any disruption.

"People are not aware of it as much as we would like them to be, so it's a very worrying situation.”

He said voter turnout could be adversely affected and the fear was it could be even lower than was normally the case.

On the government's claim that the new checks would help eliminate voter fraud, he said: “There is no rampant corruption in our councils. It is an expensive sledgehammer to crack a virtually non-existent nut.”

Meanwhile, Kent County Council has confirmed it is preparing to offer presiding officers at polling stations a 10% increase in their fee for overseeing votes.

This is partly because of concerns about having to face challenges over whether the ID being used was acceptable, such as a driving licence or passport.