Voter ID and Election Act 2022 Changes

Voter ID for elections

All electors, who vote at a polling station, will be required to show an accepted form of photographic identification.

If you act as a proxy for an elector, you will need to show your own ID. You will not need to provide ID for the person you are acting as a proxy for.

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 (including an Irish Passport Card) 

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 UK Government
• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
• Oyster 60+ Card funded by the funded by the UK Government
• Freedom Pass
• Scottish National Entitlement Card issued for the purpose of concessionary travel (including a 60+, disabled or under 22s bus pass)
• 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.

See a British Sign Language video on important voting information here:

Out of date photo ID

You can still use your photo ID if it's out of date, as long as it looks like you.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.

Showing ID as an anonymous elector

If you're registered to vote anonymously and want to vote in person, you'll need to apply for an Anonymous Elector's Document.

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of ID, you will be able to apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC). This is a photographic identity document specifically for the purpose of voting. 

The Voter Authority Certificate is an A4 paper-based document, with appropriate security features, displaying only the elector’s name, photograph, date of issue, issuing local authority, an ‘identifier’ (i.e., an alphanumerical reference), and a recommended renewal date.

Apply online

Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate on gov.uk or click here

Apply by post

Apply by filling out a paper application form and sending it to us at South Staffordshire Council, Codsall Community Hub, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, WV8 1PX

You can also contact us to request a form or you can download a form

You can also apply in person by visiting us at the Codsall Community Hub, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, WV8 1PX

If you own an accepted form of photographic ID you do not need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (Voter ID). If your photographic ID document has expired it can still be used, if the photograph is still a good likeness of you.

See a British Sign Language video on important voting information here:

From November 1st you can apply to be a postal and Proxy voter online. 

To apply for a postal vote click here 

To apply for a proxy vote click here 

If you need any assistance in applying for a postal or proxy vote please contact the elections team at elections@sstaffs.gov.uk or visit the Council offices at Codsall Community Hub, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, WV8 1PX 

Postal Voting 

From the end of October 2023 instead of refreshing your signature every five years, this will be changing to every three years. 

Any Election being held from May 2024 onwards, if you hand in your postal vote at a polling station on the day of the election, you will only be allowed to hand in a maximum of six postal votes. Political parties and campaigners will be prevented from handing in postal votes. Voters who hand in postal votes will also be required to sign a form. Any postal votes dropped of without signing the required form will not be accepted.  

Proxy Voting 

You will only be able to act as a proxy for a maximum of four people. Of these four, the maximum number who can be ‘domestic electors’ (voters living in the UK) is two. Proxy voting changes will be implemented from the end of October 2023. 

Rights of EU Citizens for voting and candidacy 

From May 2024 EU citizens will no longer automatically be entitled to register, vote, or stand for election. Two groups of EU citizens will retain their voting and candidacy rights these are:

• Qualifying EU citizens who come from countries which have reciprocal agreements with the UK (currently this is Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal, and Spain)
• EU citizens with retained rights, who were living in the UK before 1 January 2021 (before the UK left the EU)

This change will apply to all local elections and referendums in England, all elections for council and combined authority mayors, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. 

The 15-year limit on voting for British citizens living overseas has ended. Any British citizen, who was previously registered to vote in the UK or who previously lived in the UK, can now register to vote regardless of how long they have lived abroad.

The renewal period for overseas electors has changed from one to three years. This change took place from January 2024. 

To understand more about the Overseas elector changes please click here to access the Electoral Commissions FAQ on the changes

EUVCR (EU Citizens' Voting and Candidacy Rights) - EU citizens are no longer automatically entitled to register, vote or stand for elections which use the local government election franchise. These changes were implemented on 7 May 2024.

There are two types of EU Citizens that will retain their voting and candidacy rights:

• 'Qualifying EU citizens' - citizens of EU countries which the UK has bilateral Voting and Candidacy Rights (VCR) treaty with currently (as of May 2024) are:
  • Luxembourg
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Denmark.
• 'EU citizens with retained rights' - EU citizens from any other EU country who have been legally resident in the UK since before the UK left the EU on 31/12/2020.

Following the changes to EU citizens registration entitlement, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is required to conduct an Eligibility Confirmation Review (ECR) to review all EU citizens on the electoral register by the 31 January 2025.