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Elections Act 2022 - Voter ID and other changes

Important changes to the voting process

The Elections Act 2022 is making changes to the way we’ll vote in the UK. These changes will be introduced during 2023 and 2024 and these pages will be updated as more information becomes available.

Requirements to show photo ID at polling stations

From May 2023 individuals who wish to vote in person, including those acting as a proxy on behalf of another individual, will be required to produce an accepted form of photographic ID to prove their identity before they will be issued with a ballot paper. This is a national change implemented by the Government as part of the Elections Act 2022 which councils are required to follow when running elections.

To vote in person, voters must be on the electoral register and bring a suitable form of photographic ID to their polling station. The most commonly used IDs include:

  • 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
  • Photographic driver’s licence issued by the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including provisional)
  • European Economic Area (EEA) photographic ID Card
  • UK Biometric Residence Permit
  • An identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (PASS card)
  • A Blue Badge
  • A concessionary travel pass funded by HM Government or local authority

For more information on which forms of photo ID will be accepted, visit electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

Voters who do not produce valid identification or a Voter Authority Certificate (more information below), will not be allowed to vote.

Only original documents will be accepted; scanned images or copies will not be accepted.

Out of date photo ID

You can still use your photo ID if it's out of date, as long as it looks like you.

The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote.

If you do not have one of the accepted forms of ID

If you do not have one of the accepted forms of photo ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, which can be obtained free of charge. Anyone applying must already be on the electoral register.

The Voter Authority Certificate is a document containing an elector’s name and photograph that can be used as ID to vote in an election. Voter Authority Certificates do not have an expiration date and can be used in future elections so worth keeping hold of if you apply for one.

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online at https://voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/ 

If you can’t complete the online application form you can request a paper form instead or apply in person at the Cotswold District Council offices. For more information please email elections@cotswold.gov.uk or call 01285 623002.

You can find out more about Voter Authority Certificates here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/voter-id/applying-a-voter-authority-certificate 

Changes to postal voting

From 31 October 2023 - New postal vote applicants will require ID verification. Electors will be required to provide their National Insurance Number as well as a date of birth and signature when applying for a postal vote. Postal vote applications will expire after three years and a fresh application will have to be submitted.

  • Apply online at https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. Alternatively you can request a paper application, please email elections@cotswold.gov.uk or call 01285 623002. Anyone applying must already be on the electoral register.
  • Existing postal voters – if you wish to continue to vote by postal, you will need to reapply - following the same verification process by 31 January 2026. We will contact all existing postal voter outlining what you need to do in due course.
  • There will be a limit on the number of postal vote packs that you can hand in at a polling station. You will be allowed to take your own, and up to five others
  • Political parties and campaigners will be banned from handling postal vote packs on behalf of electors

When do the changes come into force?

  • Both online and paper postal vote applications will require ID verification from 31 October 2023.
  • Existing postal voter will need to reapply by 31 January 2026 - We will contact all existing postal voter outlining what you need to do in due course.
  • The rules of secrecy and who can handle postal votes are expected to in place for elections in May 2024.

Changes to proxy voting

There will be a limit to how many people a voter can act as a proxy for (someone else you appoint to vote on your behalf). Under the new rules, a person is not entitled to vote as proxy in any electoral area on behalf of more than four electors. Within the four electors, no more than two electors can be domestic electors. Domestic electors are those electors who are neither service voters nor overseas electors.

When do the changes come into force? 

  • Both online and paper proxy vote applications will require ID verification from 31 October 2023.
  • Existing proxy voters will need to reapply by 31 January 2024 - We will contact all existing proxy voters outlining what you need to do in due course.

Extended voting rights for British citizens living overseas

The 15-year limit on voting for British citizens living abroad has been removed. This means that if you are a British citizen and were previously registered to vote in the UK or have previously lived in the UK, you will be able to register as an overseas elector. British citizens living abroad will have to re-register every 3 years. You can register to vote at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

When do the changes come into force?

The new regulations came into force on 16 January 2024. To vote at the next Parliamentary Election which is due to take place in 2024, you should register as soon as possible.

The deadline to register to vote once an election has been called is 12 working days before polling day.

EU citizens’ voting and candidacy rights

EU citizens will no longer automatically be entitled to register to vote and stand for election. The changes apply to local elections in England and Northern Ireland and for Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

Two groups of EU citizens will retain their rights:

  • 'Qualifying EU citizens' from countries with reciprocal agreements, and who have leave, or do not require it, to remain in the UK. This currently applies to Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain
  • 'EU citizens with retained rights' who were residents in the UK before 1 January 2021 -  before the UK left the EU

When do the changes come into force?

The changes are not expected to come into force until after the May 2024 polls and will apply to all local elections and referendums in England and Police and Crime Commissioner elections.

 

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