SF fears thousands may lose vote

Sinn Fein is seeking an urgent meeting with the North's Electoral Office following reports that thousands of voters may not receive new identity cards in time for May's Assembly election.

Under new regulations, voters must have photographic identification to cast their ballots, a move that has forced many people without current IDs to apply for a special electoral identification card.

More than 235,000 people have applied for these cards, but Sinn Fein claims just 17,500 have been issued.

The office in England which processes the claims can only handle about 2,500 applications a day and Sinn Fein fears this could leave as many as 150,000 voters disenfranchised on May 29.