Voter ID for UK General Election

You need to show photo ID before voting in any UK parliamentary elections or by-elections. It also applies to UK parliament recall petitions (where a sitting MP faces losing their seat). It is not required at local elections in Scotland, or elections to the Scottish Parliament.

You may already have a valid form of photo ID that can be used for voting in the next UK General Election. The most common acceptable documents are passports, driving licences, National entitlement Cards, blue badges and identity cards with a PASS mark. You can see the full list of accepted forms of photo IDs on the Electoral Commission's website (opens new window).  

You will only need to show one form of photo ID, but it needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. The name on your ID must be the same name you used to register to vote. If your name has changed you may be asked to produce additional forms of identification.

You can still use some photo IDs even if they are out-of-date, as long as the photo still looks like you. You can get more information on the Electoral Commission's voter ID webpage. You can also call them on 0333 103 1928

The UK government hopes that you will already have acceptable photo ID and will use that. However, you can apply online for a free voter ID (opens new window), known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

Alternatively, you can complete a paper application form and send this to your local Electoral Registration Officer.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm, 6 working days before the date of the election. That means that weekends and bank holidays are not counted. The sooner you apply, the better.

You can also apply for this by post (opens new window) if you live in the UK. ​After you have filled in the form, send it to the electoral registration office at:

Lothian Valuation Joint Board
17A South Gyle Crescent
Edinburgh
EH12 9FL

The free ID would showy our full name and photograph, the issuing local council, an appropriate reference allocated by the Electoral Registration Office (ERO), the date of issue and a recommended renewal date.

The law specifies the types of documents that are accepted forms of ID. These have been decided by the UK Parliament. The Electoral Registration Officer and the Returning Officer cannot change the list.  

The UK Government has provided more information about which forms of ID are accepted and which are not, along with the criteria considered. You can find that on gov.uk.

If you turn up at a polling station with no accepted photo ID, you will not be issued with a ballot paper. You will need to return before 10 pm with an accepted form of photo ID.

If you would prefer not to show ID at a polling station, then you can apply to vote by post or by proxy. (someone else voting on your behalf). You will need to prove your identity when applying. The person voting on your behalf as your proxy will be required to show their photo ID at the polling station, but not yours.

Application forms for postal and proxy votes are available on the Electoral Registration Office website (opens new window).

There are changes to voting by post and proxy. The changes apply to UK Parliament general elections, by-elections and recall petitions. They do not affect Scottish Parliament or local government elections.

You can apply online to vote by post and need to prove your identity when applying. You also need to reapply for a postal vote every three years. 

You can apply online for some types of proxy vote and there are changes to how many people a voter can act as a proxy for.

If you have a long-term postal or proxy vote that you applied for before 31 October 2023, this will now expire on 31 January 2026. The electoral registration office will contact you before your postal or proxy vote expires.

Changes to postal voting for UK elections came into effect on 31 October 2023. The changes include:

• You can apply online to vote by post
• You now have to prove your identity as part of the application process. Both online and paper applications require ID verification.
• You can hold a postal vote for a maximum period of three years. You need to reapply at the end of that time.

You can still hand in your postal vote instead of posting it. However, you must also complete a form and hand that over at the same time. The form has to be checked before your postal vote will be accepted. Your postal vote will not be accepted without the form. 

There is also a new restriction on how many postal votes you can hand in for other people. You can only hand in up to 5 in addition to your own. If you try to hand in more then they will all be refused.

Changes to proxy voting in UK elections came into force on 31 October 2023. These include:

• You can now apply online for some types of proxy vote
• Your identity will be checked as part of the application process. Both online and paper application will require ID verification (except for emergency proxy votes). 
• There is now a limit to the amount of people someone can be a proxy for. You can act as a proxy for two people. If you vote on behalf of UK voters who live overseas, you can act as a proxy for up to four people (but only two of those can live in the UK).

Councils, Electoral Registration Officers and the Electoral Commission are working to ensure people are aware of the change, understand which forms of ID are accepted, and how and when to apply for free ID if they don't already have an accepted form of ID. The aim is to support those who wish to vote to do so successfully and with confidence.

If you are worried that your name and address being on the electoral register could put your safety, or the safety of someone in your household, at risk, you may be able to apply to register as an anonymous voter.  This means that you will still be able to vote, but your name and address will not be shown on the electoral register.  You will need to contact the Electoral Registration Officer to find out how to register as an anonymous voter (opens new window).

If you are registered to vote anonymously and want to vote in person at a polling station at an election that requires photo ID, you will need to apply for an Anonymous Elector's Document by 5pm, 6 working days before the date of that election (not counting weekends or bank holidays). This document will not have your name or address on it. It also will not refer to your anonymous voter status.  

You can apply for an Anonymous Elector's Document by contacting the Electoral Registration Officer  (opens new window)

You can get voter ID requirements information in other accessible formats (opens new window) from the Electoral Commission:

• audio
• Braille
• BSL
• easy read
• plain text