The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at polling stations at some elections. This new requirement will apply for the first time in England at the local elections on Thursday 4 May 2023. Voters in York will be required to show voter ID at the local elections on 4 May. From October 2023 it will also apply to UK General elections.
Why is this significant?
Everyone has a right to vote. For those who do not have access to photo ID there are steps they will need to take to be able to vote in the local and general elections going forward.
Because these changes disproportionally impact people who may already be marginalised, it’s important that as a Sector we are aware of these changes and share this information with the people and organisations we work with and support.
What ID is accepted?
Individuals will only need to show one form of photo ID. It needs to be the original version and not a photocopy.
The following forms of ID are accepted:
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
What if you or someone you support doesn’t have an accepted form of photo ID?
If you or an individual you support doesn’t have an accepted form of photo ID, or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
Please note that the deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the local elections in England on 4 May 2023 is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
You can apply online for this at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk
Other ways to apply:
You can also apply by post. Individuals can download the application form and print it themselves or they can contact York City Council via the details below and request a printed version to be posted to them.
There’s a different form for applying by post if you live abroad, you’re in the armed forces, a Crown Servant or a British Council employee.
If you or anyone you support needs any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact City of York Council via:
York City Council, Electoral Registration Officer, West Offices, Station Rise, York YO1 6GA
Phone: 01904 551007 | Email: electoral.services@york.gov.uk | Website: http://www.york.gov.uk
- Information on how to apply to vote by proxy
Guidance Documents:
All the below guidance documents can be found at: Voter ID resources | Electoral Commission
- Voter ID Partner Pack (General) – overview with links to different documents including printable resources and digital resources.
- Supporting Gypsy, Roma and Traveller communities to vote in the local elections Partner Pack
- Older People Partner Pack
- People Experiencing Homelessness Partner Pack
- People Who are Registered to Vote Anonymously Partner Pack
- Trans and Non-Binary People Partner Pack
- Blind and Partially Sighted People Partner Pack
- Deaf People Partner Pack
- Large Print, Braille and Audio Formats Information
- Easy Read Guidance Document
- British Sign Language Information – you can download a folder which contains information videos
- Information Poster (English)
The Voter ID booklet is available in the following languages:
- Bengali
- Gujarati
- Panjabi
- Polish
- Portuguese
- Romanian
- Somali
- Urdu
This document contains all the individual links to the translated guidance documents.