The voter ID changes apply across the UK from May 2023. Photo: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire/PA
From May 2023, voters across the UK will be asked to show photo ID at their local ballot box.
The requirement is based on the recommendations of a 2016 report by Lord Pickles, the former Commons Secretary, which warned there was a risk of «serious abuse» in the electoral system if people were able to vote under false pretenses with little risk of detection .
With Labor leading in the latest election polls, The Telegraph lays out everything you need to know about voting rules ahead of July 4th. Here are acceptable forms of identification you can bring to the polls.
What are the voter ID requirements?
Everyone wanting to vote in the UK must show photo ID to vote in certain elections.
For voters in England, Scotland and Wales, this includes UK parliamentary elections, by-elections and recall petitions. Residents of England also need ID for local elections.
This requirement does not apply to Holyrood, Senedd or council elections in Scotland and Wales. Residents of Northern Ireland already needed a photo ID to vote, so they will not be affected by the rule change.
Voters in both England and Wales will also need ID for police and crime commissioner elections.
The rule was applied in stages, starting with local elections in England on 4 May 2023. This year's general election will see ID required for a national poll for the first time.
The change marks a significant departure from the previous system in place in much of the UK, where voters only had to verbally prove their name and address.
What types of ID are accepted?
Voters must show a photo ID at the polls, and it doesn't have to be dated as long as it is identifiable as the person standing at the ballot box.
However, it must be the original version and not a photocopy, and the name on the ID must match the name appearing on the voter list.
Acceptable Voter Forms The ID includes:< /p>
- A 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 (including the Irish Passport Card)< /li>
- A full or provisional driving license issued by the UK, the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or State of the European Economic Area.
- Blue Badge
- Any ID card with pass (proof of age standards scheme)
Any of the following travel cards:< /p>
- Government-funded senior bus pass
- Disabled person government-funded bus pass.
- Oyster 60+ government-funded card
- Freedom Pass
- Scottish National Concession Card issued for discounted travel (including a bus pass for children aged 60 years, disabled or under 22)
- Welsh Concession Travel Card 60 years and over
- Welsh Disability Card Concession Travel Card
- Snior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.
- Registered Blind SmartPass or SmartPass for Blind Issued in Northern Ireland.
- War Disabled SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- li>. li>
- 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland.
- Half of the SmartPass fare is issued in Northern Ireland.
Any of these government issued documents:
- Biometric Immigration Document
- Ministry of Defense Form 90 (Ministry of Defense Identity Card)
- National Identity Card A card issued by a member state of the European Economic Area.
- Voter ID card issued in Northern Ireland.
- Voter Certificate of Credentials.
- Anonymous Voter ID.
Follow the steps provided. Do the rules apply to voting by mail?
No. You are not required to have any form of photo identification to vote by mail.
However, when you apply, you will be asked to provide your National Insurance (NI) number to verify your identity. If you cannot do this, you will need to explain why.
How can I get a voter ID?
You can apply for a free Voter Credential Certificate (VAC) online or by mail. To complete the online application you will need a recent digital photograph of you and your NI number.
You can still apply if you do not have an NI number, but you will need to provide alternative identification documents such as a birth certificate, bank statement or utility bill.
Apply by mail. , you will need to complete and return the form to your local Voter Registration Office.
You will need the address where you are registered to vote, a recent photograph of you and your NI number.
Again, other supporting documents are accepted, but their use may delay the application process.
The Voter Registration Office must receive your form by 5:00 p.m., six business days before the election in which you want to vote.
If you wish to apply by mail and live abroad, you will need to complete a different form. military personnel, civil servant or British Council employee.
What if I do not have a valid ID?
Anyone who does not have a qualifying ID can apply for a VAC.< /p>
This does not replace registration to vote, which must be done before submitting any application.
Why was Voter ID introduced?
The goal was to eliminate voter fraud by forcing people to verify their identity at the polls.
In a government-commissioned report, Lord Pickles warned that authorities were in a “state of denial” and “pivot”. turn a blind eye» to the problem of voter fraud.
Why is voter ID so controversial?
The government said the change was needed to curb the «inexcusable ability» to «steal someone's vote» by simply quoting their votes . name and address on the ballot box.
However, critics say genuine claims of voter fraud in Britain are few and far between.
According to the Electoral Reform Society, in 2019, the year of the last general election, there were only 33 allegations of impersonation at a polling station out of more than 58 million votes cast.
Opponents of the rule also warn that it will make it harder for some people to vote, including disabled people, transgender and non-binary people, and black and minority ethnic people.
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