How to vote

Polling stations for future elections and referendums will be open to vote in person.

You will need to provide photo ID.

You can register to vote or change your voting details on GOV.UK.

If you are registered to vote, you will receive a poll card a few weeks before the election. It tells you when the election is due to take place and how you can vote.

You do not need to take your poll card with you to the polling station to vote, unless you are a registered anonymous voter, but you must bring photo ID.

As a result of the Elections Act 2022, voters are required to provide photo ID at polling stations to cast their vote.

You now need to produce an accepted form of photo identification to be able to vote if you are voting in person. This includes if you are voting on behalf of someone else as a proxy vote.

Voter ID will need to be produced at polling stations for the following polls:

• UK parliamentary by-elections
• Recall petitions
• Police and Crime Commissioner elections
• Local government elections in England
• Parish council elections

Voters will not need to provide voter ID at a UK Parliamentary General Election held before 5 October 2023. The requirement to provide voter ID at this specific poll will be effective from this date.

Acceptable forms of photo ID are:

• passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country
• driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
• biometric immigration document
• identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
• Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
• Blue Badge
• national identity card issued by an EEA state
• Older Person’s Bus Pass
• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
• Oyster 60+ Card
• Freedom Pass
• Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland
• 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
• Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland

Expired photo ID can still be used, as long as it remains a good likeness to the individual.

If you don't have an acceptable form of ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Once your identity has been verified, the certificate will be sent to you and will show your name and photograph so that you can take it to a polling station and vote in person.

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate at any time, but the application must be made no later than 5pm, 6 days before polling day.

The Voter Authority Certificate is only permitted to be used for voting and cannot be used as ID for other services.

If you are registered as an anonymous voter and want to vote at your local polling station, you must bring an Anonymous Elector's Document with you.

If you do not have an Anonymous Elector's Document or haven't applied for one, you will need to contact us.

Your polling station will be listed on the polling card which is delivered to you by post before the election.

Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm.