Elections Act

This will apply at:

• UK parliamentary by-elections
• Recall petitions
• Police and Crime Commissioner elections
• Local government elections in England, including local government referendums unless otherwise stated

The need for voter ID at UK Parliamentary General elections will only begin after 5 October 2023.

• 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 licence issued by UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
• Biometric immigration document
• Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
• Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
• Blue Badge
• National identity card issued by an EEA state
• Older Person's Bus Pass
• Disabled Person's Bus Pass
• Oyster 60+ Card
• Freedom Pass
• Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland
• 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• Disabled Person's Welsh Concessionary Travel Card issued in Wales
• 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
• Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland

Expired photographic identification documents can still be used as accepted photographic ID at the polling station or signing place, as long as the photograph is still a good likeness of the elector.

If you do not have or do not wish to use one of the accepted forms of photographic ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. This document has an elector's name and photograph. You can get one free of charge from Dudley Council, following verification of your identity.

Anonymous electors wishing to vote in person also need to produce photographic ID. Because their entry on the polling station register is linked to their electoral number, rather than their name, the only accepted form of photographic ID for an anonymous elector is an Anonymous Elector’s Document. This document has an anonymous elector's elector number and photograph. You can get one free of charge from your local ERO, following verification of your identity.

The Voter Authority Certificate and Anonymous Elector's Document cannot be used as proof of identity for any other purpose than voting.

Applications from overseas electors

The Elections Act 2022 brings in changes to the franchise for overseas electors. It is the first legislative step towards removing the 15-year limit on overseas electors being able to vote in UK Parliamentary elections and allowing British citizens overseas who were previously registered or previously resident in the UK to apply to register to vote.

The extended franchise is not yet in operation

Do not apply now if you have lived outside the UK for 15 years or over. In order to bring in this change, the government now needs to make a number of changes to regulations and set out the details of how the new franchise will operate in practice. This will be done via secondary legislation, which will be made over the coming months, following which applications will open to all British citizens previously registered or resident in the UK.

The government expects that the changes to the franchise for overseas electors will be in place ahead of polls in spring 2024.

Government plans for communicating with overseas electors

Once the extended franchise is in place, a number of communications channels will be used to ensure that British citizens living abroad are aware of the extension of their voting rights, and how to apply to register to vote if they wish to. This will include specific communications activities targeting overseas residents who have been added to the franchise to raise awareness of their additional rights and of how to participate in future elections. The Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office will also provide information on the changes when relevant via their 'living in' guide.

Postal and Proxy votes - known as absent votes

In future, political parties and campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes. There will be a limit on the number of postal votes that a person can hand in at a polling station. Postal voters will be required to have their identity verified when applying to vote by post and must make a fresh application every three years, instead of the current five yearly signature refresh. Some of these new rules may be in place from July 2023.

Email: elections@dudley.gov.uk

Electoral Services
Council House
Priory Road
Dudley
DY1 1HF