Voter ID requirement

Acceptable forms of photographic identification include: 

• International travel
  • 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
• Driving and parking
  • Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
  • A Blue Badge
• Local travel
  • Older person’s bus pass
  • Disabled person’s bus pass
  • Oyster 60+ card
  • Freedom pass
• Proof of age
  • Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
• Other government issued documents
  • Biometric immigration document
  • Ministry of Defence form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • National identity card issued by an EEA state
  • a Voter Authority Certificate
  • an Anonymous Elector’s document

A full list is available on the Government website. 

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

You cannot use your polling card as identification.

You can still use your photo ID if it is out of date, as long as it looks like you.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 suitable photo ID, then you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. Further information about this can be found below. 

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate has now passed for the general election on Thursday, 4 July 2024.

You can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate, if:

• you don't have an accepted form of photo ID
• you are not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you
• you are worried about using an existing form of ID for any other reason, such as the use of a gender marker

If you have not previously registered to vote, you need to do this before applying for a Voter Authority Certificate. You do not need to register to vote before every election.

• To apply online, visit the Government’s website.  
• To request a postal application form, call us on 01793 445500
• Apply in person on any working day between 9.30am and 4.00pm at Civic Reception, Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon, SN1 2JH

If you are registered to vote anonymously and want to vote in person, you will need to apply for an anonymous electors document.

Find out more about registering to vote anonymously and how to vote anonymously.

Postal voters will not be affected by the voter ID changes and will be issued with their postal ballot papers as usual. 

If you choose to vote by proxy, which is when someone votes on your behalf, then the person you have trusted to vote on your behalf will have to take their own identification to be issued with a ballot paper.

Apply for a postal or proxy vote.