Voter ID at elections

Elections will take place as usual. Your poll card will advise you which polling station you should go to cast your vote, on polling day, between 7am and 10pm.

Because of the need to check ID, you should anticipate the process of receiving your ballot paper taking a little longer than usual and the possibility of short queues forming at busy times.

No details will be taken from the ID you use.

Voting will only take place for the district and parish council wards which are contested where there are more candidates standing than the number of available seats. Further information can be found on Forthcoming election and referendum dates.

The Voter Authority Certificate is a new free voter photo document. Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if:

• you do not have accepted photo ID
• you no longer look like the photo on your ID
• the name on your photo ID is significantly different to your name on the electoral register

More information is available on our Voter Authority Certificate page.

No - you must bring the original ID with you to vote at the polling station. We cannot accept copies, or photographs of ID.

If you choose to vote by post nothing will change. Voter ID has no impact on postal voting, only voting at polling stations. You won’t need to present any ID as your identification is verified by your signature and date of birth.

An elector will need to present photo identification matching the name registered on the Electoral Register. If you need to change the name on the Electoral Register please contact the Elections Team on 01529 308352.

Yes, if the photo is still a good likeness to prove your identity. 

The photo ID needs to have a true likeness to your current appearance to prove your identity. If you do not have any of the photo ID options with an up-to-date photo, then you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.

If you forget your photo ID on polling day or do not take an accepted ID, you can go home to collect some and return to your polling station anytime until 10pm that same day.

If you cannot show any of the accepted forms of ID on polling day and do not apply or are not eligible for an emergency proxy, you will be unable to vote in this election. 

Yes, once you have stated your name and address upon arrival, we will have an area for electors who request to have their identity checked in private.

In some cases, people plan for someone else to vote on their behalf, by proxy. If you have nominated someone to vote for you by proxy, the person you have nominated will need to take their own ID to prove who they are. They do not need to take ID for the elector that they are proxy for.

The polling station will have a record of their name, and the person they’re voting for if they have applied to vote by proxy. 

If you are registered as an anonymous elector on the electoral register, you will need to apply for an Anonymous Elector’s Document to use as your photo ID at the polling station you use. All anonymous electors currently on the NK register will be contacted by NKDC to invite them to apply for this document.

The Anonymous Elector’s Document will be the only form of ID that an anonymous elector will be able to use in a polling station. This Document will show key details including a photo but will NOT show an elector’s name. There will be an identifier code used instead that relates to their place on the register. If you think you require an Anonymous Elector’s Document, please get in touch with the Elections Team directly.

Please view the links below to see the list of countries in the Commonwealth, Channel Islands, European Union and the European Economic Area (EEA).

Countries in the EU and EEA

Member countries | Commonwealth

Channel Islands profile