How to Get Free Photo ID to Vote

Annie

fifteenth Apr 2024

Studying Time: 3 minutes

For the primary time ever, UK voters will likely be required to point out photographic ID earlier than they’ll vote in Parliamentary elections, which embody the native elections on 2nd Could 2024. Whereas most individuals may have some type of accepted photograph ID, there’ll nonetheless be many who received’t – or they’ll’t afford to pay for the related ID doc. This quick-look information tells you all the things you should find out about photograph ID for voting within the UK.

Why Do I Need Photo ID?

What Photo ID Can I Use to Vote?

How to Get Free Photo ID to Vote

Why Do I Want Picture ID?

Photographic ID has been launched to fight voting fraud, though within the final election, there have been solely 33 instances of suspected in-person voting fraud – out of 58 million votes.. It is a controversial transfer by the Authorities, as it should put decrease earnings folks at an obstacle. For instance, a sound UK passport is accepted ID however these come at a price of over £100. Even the Government’s own research concluded that voter ID necessities would negatively influence the power for folks to vote if they’re from decrease socio-economic backgrounds with out {qualifications}, those that are unemployed, and folks with extreme disabilities, particularly as a lot of them received’t have any type of photographic ID.

No matter your opinion on whether or not voting ID is an effective or unhealthy thought, you will have one for voting in individual at a polling station. Your ID should match your registered title, i.e., the one in your polling card, and the photograph have to be an identical sufficient likeness that it’s clearly you. So, strive to not use a driving license with that 15-year-old photograph you snuck in in your final licence renewal in case you get turned away!

What Picture ID Can I Use to Vote?

For England, Scotland, and Wales, there are a variety of sorts of photograph ID which are accepted by polling stations for in-person voting.

• A full or provisional UK photocard driving licence
• A photocard driving licence from the EU, Channel Islands, Norway, Lichtenstein, Isle of Man or Iceland (if you’re eligible to vote)
• A UK passport or
• A passport or nationwide id card issued by an EU nation, Lichtenstein, Norway, Iceland, or a Commonwealth nation (and also you’re eligible to vote)
• A Defence Identification Card
• A Blue Badge
• A Biometric Resident Allow (BRP)
• An id doc with the PASS hologram
• An Nameless Elector’s Doc
• An older individual’s or disabled individual’s bus cross
• An Oyster 60+ card (different Oyster playing cards usually are not accepted)
• A Scottish Nationwide Entitlement Card
• A 60 and Over or Disabled Individual’s Welsh Concessionary Journey Card
• A Freedom Move

In Northern Eire, you need to use:

• A photocard driving licence from the UK, Eire, or EEA (provisional or full)
• A passport issued by the UK or Eire (EU passports usually are not accepted for UK Parliamentary elections)
• Translink SmartPass: Half Fare, 60+, Senior, Warfare Disablement/Warfare Disabled, Registered Blind / Blind Individual’s SmartPass
• A Biometric Immigration Doc

Your handle doesn’t need to match between these paperwork and your present handle – the ID is in your id verify and never an handle verify. You solely want photograph ID if you’re voting in individual – it isn’t required for postal votes or voting by proxy (which is whenever you get another person to go to the polling station for you, often resulting from a medical emergency or incapacity, or in case your employment prevents you from attending to a polling station throughout opening hours).

Your photograph ID doesn’t have to be in date, you simply need to appear like your {photograph} on it.

The right way to Get Free ID to Vote

In the event you don’t have any of these types of ID, otherwise you don’t appear like the photograph in your accepted ID anymore, don’t panic – however you will need to act NOW to have the ability to vote on the native elections on 2nd Could 2024.

Apply for a Photo ID Authority Voter Certificate earlier than twenty fourth April 2024 to get yours in time for voting.

In the event you stay in Northern Eire, you will need to apply for an Electoral Identity Card.