What photo ID will you need to vote in the general election?

People will have to show valid photo ID at polling stations when voting in the general election on 4 July.

You will not need to show ID if you have a postal vote.

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:

There is no need to show ID if voting:

Voters in Northern Ireland have had to show photo ID since 2003.

There are 22 acceptable forms of ID, external, including:

You can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same.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, external so polling station staff can check that your ID looks like you.

After the May local elections, Veterans Minister Johnny Mercer apologised to a man who said he was not able to use his veterans' ID card to vote.

A No 10 spokeswoman said the government intended to add the veterans' card - which was rolled out in January - to the list of valid 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, external without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate, external.

Voters in Northern Ireland can use an Electoral Identity Card, external.

If you go to the polling station 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, external. 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.

The government said this would stop votes being stolen, although that 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, external.

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.