Voting in local elections on May 4th
Disabled and older people will be amongst those who will find it more difficult to vote from now on in elections due to the introduction of the need to produce photo ID at Polling Stations.
The easiest way to get around this is to apply for a postal vote. You can contact the Registration Officer at your local council to do this or print off a form which then needs to be sent to your Registration Officer here https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/apply-vote-post
Applications must be made by 5pm on April 18th
You can also apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at https://voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk and applications ned to be made by Tuesday April 25th. Of course you’ll need a photo for this which is difficult for some disabled people to get.
Accepted forms of photo ID
You can use any of the following accepted forms of photo ID when voting at a polling station.
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 (this includes a provisional driving licence)
- A Blue Badge
Local travel
- Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Oyster 60+ Card funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- Freedom Pass
- Scottish National Entitlement Card
- 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
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
- Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
- Voter Authority Certificate
- Anonymous Elector’s Document
You will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.
