No ID For Voting In the General Election? Here's How To Get Some For Free!

Why you'll need ID to vote in the General Election and where to get it from: possibly for free!

Since 2023, voters in England must show a photo ID to vote at polling stations in most UK elections, including General Elections. Voters in Scotland also have needed to show photo ID from 2023, with parliamentary by-elections and recall petitions, and in Wales at Police and Crime Commissioner elections, UK parliamentary by-elections, and recall petitions.

The reasoning behind the change in the voting process is to tighten up voting rules to prevent potential fraud. Although there have been very few verified cases of voting fraud, it's hoped this scheme will ensure an even lower possibility of voting fraud. Critics say there is more chance of postal voting fraud than fraud taking place in an actual voting booth.

Recent council elections showed that the ID message hadn't reached everyone. Many voters turned up to vote at polling stations only to be turned away because they didn't have any ID. Interestingly, if not a little embarrassingly, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from his local polling station for not bringing ID with him, even though it was he and his government that actually introduced the must-have ID rule!

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak set a general election date of July 4th, 2024, which was very little notice and a surprise for most people. This has put serious time pressure on voters without a valid form of ID to get some acceptable ID ordered. Turnout for this General Election is expected to be higher than in previous elections, and so demand for ID issuing services is expected to be high.

What are the accepted forms of photo ID for voting in the General Election?

The following types of ID are classed as acceptable by polling stations and will allow you to class your vote in the general election 2024.

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)
  

• The Post Office offers a suitable card for £15, which you can order online. The Citizen Card arrives in around 21 days and is normally valid for 3 years.
  

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 - This is FREE from HMRC and you'll need a recent digital photo of yourself and your National Insurance number. You can still apply if you do not have a National Insurance number. You’ll need to provide other documents to prove your identity, such as a birth certificate, bank statement, and utility bill.

• 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.

You can still use your photo ID if it's 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.

What If you don't have an accepted form of photo ID?

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're not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you

• you're worried about using an existing form of ID for any other reason, such as the use of a gender marker

You need to register to vote before applying for a Voter Authority Certificate.

If you don't have an accepted photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate. You can apply for this for free, normally via your local council.

When applying for a Voter Authority Certificate, you will need to provide your:

• name

• address

• date of birth

• National Insurance number

What if you don't know your National Insurance number or don't have one?

You can find your National Insurance number on:

• payslips

• official letters about tax, pensions or benefits
  

You can also view your National Insurance number online on the Gov.UK website, where you can also download a form to have your number sent to you. This will normally take about 15 working days. You can't get your number over the phone.

You can still apply if you don’t know your National Insurance number or don’t have one.

You must provide other forms of proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill. Your local council will contact you to arrange this.

Providing a photograph

You will need to submit a photo with your application. The requirements for the photo are similar to those for a passport photo. If you need help taking a photo, your local council can do this for you.

No matter which ID service you use to obtain your ID, ensure you order it promptly to avoid you being unable to cast your vote in the 2024 general election.