Is your voter ID ready?

First Published: 28/03/2024

Is your voter ID ready for the upcoming elections?

The local and mayoral elections in May 2024 are both approaching and UK Government has introduced a requirement that voters need to show an accepted form of photo ID to vote in a polling station. The types of acceptable ID are listed below.

Electors must still be registered to vote and must still attend the polling station shown on their poll card. The deadline to register to vote in a particular election is 12 working days before the date of that election. To register to vote visit click here, or complete a paper application form, which you can download here.

Which forms of ID can be used to vote?

A wide range of forms of photo ID will be accepted when voting at a polling station.

International travel document
Local travel document
Driving licence (including provisional licence)
Blue badge
Identity card with PASS mark
Biometric immigration document
Defence identity card
National identity card

Applying for a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) – Voter ID

If you don’t have an acceptable form of ID (or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you) to show to polling stations staff on election day apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) on the government website. The deadline to apply for a VAC to vote in the May elections is Wednesday 24 April, 5pm.

When applying for a Voter Authority Certificate, you will need to provide your:

Name
Address
Date of birth
National Insurance number

You will also need to submit a photo with your application. The requirements for the photo are similar to the requirements for a passport photo.

Translated information to print or download

Translated information booklets on Voter ID are available in the following languages for download or print:

Find out more about how to vote, or elections and voting.