If you voted in the recent UK General Election held on 4^th July, you will already be well aware of the new rules about identity checks on anyone wishing to cast a vote. All voters had to present valid photo ID at the polling station to get a ballot paper. Voters without the correct identity documents were turned away. If you didn’t vote, or did vote and are still unsure of the rules about identity checking for voting, here is our guide to electoral identity checking.

Rules on Voter Identity Documents

Since May 2023, presenting a valid form of photo ID has been compulsory for in-person voting at most elections. These rules don’t just apply to UK general elections, but also to:

• All local elections in England, including mayoral and London Assembly elections
• All local referendums and parliamentary by-elections in England
• Police and crime commissioner elections in England and Wales

Although people in Scotland and Wales need their ID to vote in a UK general election, no ID is needed for Scottish or Welsh local elections or parliament elections. The situation is different again in Northern Ireland, where voters have needed valid photo ID since 2003.

The government introduced photo ID rules to prevent voter fraud. This is relatively rare in the UK. Between 2019 and 2023, there were 1,462 reported cases of alleged fraud in a British election. 11 cases involved someone pretending to be someone else at polling stations. Only one case resulted in a conviction, and one in a caution.

Accepted Forms of Photo ID

There is a long list of what items can be used to verify your identity when voting, including:

• Passport
• Driving licences
• Older or Disabled Person’s bus passes
• Oyster 60+ cards

Although for other purposes ID documents have to be currently valid, for elections out-of-date photo IDs are accepted as long as the voter still resembles the photo.

What If You Don’t Have the Right ID?

One of the main criticisms of the new system is that it excludes people who don’t have a passport, driving licence, or other appropriate ID. Registered voters without the correct ID can apply for a free voter authority certificate. However, this has to be done in advance of any election as the cards take some time to be produced and dispatched.

If you arrive at a polling station to cast your vote without valid ID, you will be asked to return with the correct documentation. The staff at the polling station should be able to help with what sort of documents you might need. Although figures have yet to be released, polling station staff recorded the number of voters turned away and also those who then returned with valid ID. In the May 2023 local elections in England, about 14,000 people were unable to vote due to the new rules.

The ID system is under review, and the Electoral Commission has recommended widening the list of accepted documents. It remains to be seen whether the new government acts on their advice.