Voter ID

New government legislation has been introduced that requires all voters to show accepted photo ID before they can vote.

If you turn up without a valid document, you will not be issued a ballot paper and will not be able to vote.

View the list of accepted photo ID.

If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Voter Authority Certificates

A Voter Authority Certificate will show:

  • your name
  • your photograph
  • the date of issue
  • some security features.

It will be acceptable for all elections. You do not need one for each election and you do not need to re-apply if you move address.

You only need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you do not have one of the forms of accepted photo ID.

You do not need a Voter Authority Certificate if you vote by post.

If you have appointed a proxy to vote on your behalf, they will need to show their accepted photo ID or certificate at the polling station before they vote on your behalf.

Support in British Sign Language (BSL)

The Electoral Commission (EC) have published a short video on voter ID in BSL.

The EC have also published a short video on Voter Authority Certificates in BSL

Find out more about Voter ID

You can find out more about the new requirements on the Electoral Commission website.