Your guide to registering to vote and voter ID

Your next local elections are taking place on Thursday 4 May 2023. This guide will explain what you need to do to prepare to vote.

Registering
You need to register to vote in your local elections, and it’s important! Your local councillor is the link between your community and your local council, and you should use your vote to decide who you think the best person for that job is. Consistently being on the electoral register also helps your credit score! You can register to vote online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. Once registered to vote, you will receive a poll card in the post. Your poll card will tell you the date of the election, what times you can vote, and the location of your polling station. You can only vote at the polling station on your card (excluding postal votes).

Know where you will vote
Where you go to vote depends on where you live. Each council splits its district into sections called wards. Each ward has its own councillors and will usually have several polling stations. Your polling station will be written on your card, but you can usually find it on your local council’s website nearer to the day.

Remember you need ID
You are now legally required to bring ID to vote. You can use:

• • A passport or driving licence issued by the UK, any Channel Island, Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state, or a Commonwealth Country
  • A Blue Badge
  • A UK Government funded Oyster 60+ card, Older Person’s or Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
  • Freedom Pass
  • Scottish National Entitlement Card
  • 60 and Over or Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
  • Senior, War Disablement, Blind Person’s, 60+, or Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • ID card bearing the PASS hologram
  • 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 ID, but it must be in date and the original, not a copy. If you don’t have one of the above forms of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate if you don’t have an accepted form of ID, your ID no longer looks like you, or you’re worried about using your existing ID for another reason e.g. a gender marker. Apply for a Voter Authority Certificate here.

At the polling station
When you arrive at the polling station, a member of staff will ask for your name and address so they can find you on the electoral register. You will then need to present your ID so they can check it matches the information on the register and that it is valid. They will then give you a ballot paper and direct you to a vacant polling booth. If you need help, just ask a member of staff, they’re there to help.

Other ways to vote
If you can’t vote in person for any reason, you have three options.

• • Voting by post
    You will need to complete a Postal Vote Application Form by Tuesday 18 April 2023. Once you have received your ballot paper in the post, you will need to return it by Thursday 4 May 2023. If you miss this deadline, you can deliver it to your polling station or local council office on the day.
  • Voting by proxy
    A proxy vote means you are electing someone to vote on your behalf. This person must vote at the same polling station as you and will need to show their own ID badge. You can apply for a proxy vote here and will need to return the form by Tuesday 25 April 2023.
  • Emergency proxy vote
    If for some reason you are unable to vote at a polling station on the day, you can apply for an emergency proxy vote up to 5 pm on Thursday 4 May 2023. Apply via telephone on 01752 304866.

Find out more about voting by visiting the Electoral Commission website here.

Post authored by:
Patrick Owen
Press & Public Relations Officer
Plymouth Marjon University

With Contributions from Plymouth City Council