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What photo ID do you need to vote in UK elections? What photo ID do you need to vote in UK elections?
(4 months later)
People in England will need to show photo ID before being allowed to vote at the local elections on 4 May. Photo-ID requirements could cause "serious disruption" at the next general election, two reports suggest.
The government says the new rules will help prevent voter fraud but critics claim the changes will make it harder for some to vote. Thousands of people were unable to vote in May's local elections in England because they did not have the correct ID.
What are the new voter ID rules? The government says the ID rules prevent voter fraud.
Voters will need to show photo ID to get their ballot paper in polling stations at local elections, police and crime commissioner elections, and parliamentary by-elections. You do not need to bring your poll card. What are the voter ID rules?
Some polling stations may have "greeters" outside to remind voters about the need for photo ID. However, you only need to show your ID to staff issuing ballot papers inside. Since May, voters in England have had to show photo ID to get their ballot paper in polling stations for local elections, local referendums and parliamentary by-elections.
From October the ID requirements will also apply to any future general elections. Voters in police-and-crime-commissioner elections in England and Wales also require photo ID.
You don't need to show ID if voting by post. The rules apply to voters across Great Britain for UK general elections after October 2023.
But there is no need to show ID if voting:
by post
for the Scottish or Welsh Parliament
in local elections in Scotland or Wales
Voters in Northern Ireland have had to show photo ID since 2003.
What documents can you use as photo ID?What documents can you use as photo ID?
They include: These include:
passportspassports
driving licencesdriving licences
Older or Disabled Person's bus passesOlder or Disabled Person's bus passes
Oyster 60+ cardsOyster 60+ cards
You can use out-of-date ID as long as you look the same.You can use out-of-date ID as long as you look the same.
A full list of accepted documents can be found here.A full list of accepted documents can be found here.
Why do I need ID to vote? What if I don't have an acceptable form of ID?
The government said the measure would stop votes being stolen, although this is quite unusual in the UK. You can exchange a paper driving licence for a photocard or apply for a photocard travel pass if you're aged 60 or over, disabled, or registered blind or partially-sighted.
Anyone registered to vote who does not have the right photo ID - or who no longer looks like the picture on their ID - can apply for a new free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
Voters in Northern Ireland can use the Electoral Identity Card.
Why do voters need photo ID?
The government says it will stop votes being stolen, although this is quite unusual in the UK.
Since 2018, there have been 1,386 cases of alleged electoral fraud reported to the police, according to the Electoral Commission. These led to nine convictions and six police cautions.Since 2018, there have been 1,386 cases of alleged electoral fraud reported to the police, according to the Electoral Commission. These led to nine convictions and six police cautions.
The number of cases of someone pretending to be another person - known as personation - is even lower. In 2022, there were just 13 cases recorded by police, including seven at polling stations. None led to prosecutions.The number of cases of someone pretending to be another person - known as personation - is even lower. In 2022, there were just 13 cases recorded by police, including seven at polling stations. None led to prosecutions.
The commission said in the past five years there had been "no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud", although some Conservative MPs claim the statistics underplay the issue.The commission said in the past five years there had been "no evidence of large-scale electoral fraud", although some Conservative MPs claim the statistics underplay the issue.
What if I don't have an acceptable form of ID? Can I take a selfie at a polling station?
You could exchange a paper driving licence for a photocard or apply for a photocard travel pass if you're aged 60 or over, disabled, or registered blind or partially-sighted. What if voters cannot show the correct ID at the polling station?
Anyone who didn't have the right photo ID, or who no longer looks like the picture on their ID was encouraged to apply for a new free voter ID document known as a Voter Authority Certificate. Polling station staff have a legal duty to record the number of people that cannot be issued with a ballot paper because they do not have valid ID.
The deadline to apply has now passed. This includes the number of people who are turned away and later return to the polling station with the correct documentation.
In Northern Ireland, voters can use the Electoral Identity Card. The deadline to apply for one for the 18 May elections is 5 May. About 14,000 people were unable to vote at May's local elections in England as a result of the new rules.
Will the number of voters without ID be recorded? But the true figure could be higher because some might have left after reading the ID requirements, without being formally recorded, the Electoral Commission said.
Yes. Polling station staff have a legal duty to record the number of people that cannot be issued with a ballot paper because they could not show valid ID. The watchdog's research indicated 90% of voters at May's elections had been "satisfied with the process of voting" but unemployed voters and those belonging ethnic minorities were more likely to have been turned away.
This includes the number of people who are turned away and later return to the polling station with the correct ID. What are the concerns about the general election?
Electoral Commission: Greeters at polling stations The government says it is still "learning lessons" from the May local elections.
Is there an election in my area? But two reports highlight the potential impact on the next UK general election, expected in 2024.
When are the elections and who's being elected? Electoral administrators surveyed by the Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) warned they would have too few staff to check valid ID and produce Voter Authority Certificates.
Dogs, selfies... What can you do in a polling station? The Local Government Association backed the LGIU's concerns, warning council election teams had had to rely on help from areas without elections in May, which would not be possible at a general election.
In a separate report, the Electoral Commission called on the government to expand the list of accepted ID.
It also suggested allowing voters to cast their ballot without ID if another registered voter could vouch for their identity.
When is the next general election?
Related TopicsRelated Topics
NI local elections 2023 UK government
Electoral CommissionElectoral Commission
England local elections 2023England local elections 2023
Local governmentLocal government