What photo ID do you need to vote in local elections?
- Published
People had to show photo ID at polling stations to vote in the local elections on 2 May.
Voters now need to show ID to take part in most polls - including the next general election.
What are the voter ID rules?
Since May 2023, voters have had to show a valid form of photo ID at polling stations to vote in person at most elections.
The rules apply to:
- all local elections in England, including those for mayors and the London Assembly
- all local referendums and parliamentary by-elections in England
- police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales
- UK general elections
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?
There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, including:
- passports
- driving licences
- Older or Disabled Person's bus passes
- Oyster 60+ cards
You can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same.
If you wear a face covering, such as a medical mask or a veil worn on religious grounds, you will be asked to remove it briefly so polling station staff can check your ID looks like you.
Following the 2 May local elections, veterans minister Johnny Mercer apologised to a man who said he was not able to use his veterans' ID card.
A No 10 spokeswoman said: "It is our intention for the new Veteran Card, which was rolled out in January, to be added to the official list."
What if you don't have an acceptable form of ID?
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.
Alternatively, anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
It is too late to get a certificate before the 2 May local elections.
However, if you do not have valid photo ID or it has been lost, stolen or damaged, you can still apply for an emergency proxy vote.
Contact the electoral services team at your local council before 17:00 BST on polling day.
What happens if you cannot show valid ID at the polling station?
If you go to the polling station on Thursday 2 May without the correct ID, you will be asked to come back with valid documentation.
If you think your ID has been wrongly rejected, the Electoral Commission says you should notify the presiding officer at the polling station. If this does not resolve the issue, you can raise your concerns with your council's returning officer.
Polling station staff record how many voters are turned away, as well as the number who return with valid ID.
According to the commission about 14,000 people were unable to vote in the May 2023 local elections in England as a result of the new rules.
Why do voters need photo ID?
The government said it would stop votes being stolen, although this is quite unusual in the UK.
There were 1,462 cases of alleged electoral fraud reported to police between 2019 and 2023, according to the Electoral Commission.
Of these, 10 led to convictions and the police issued four cautions. Most resulted in the police taking no further action.
The Electoral Commission has called on the government to expand the list of accepted ID and to allow voters to cast their ballot without ID if another registered voter could vouch for their identity.