Running electoral registration - England
Voter Authority Certificates and Anonymous Elector's Documents
Any elector who wishes to vote in person, including those acting as a proxy on behalf of another individual, will be required to produce an accepted form of photographic ID to prove their identity before they will be issued with a ballot paper.
This will apply at:
- UK parliamentary general elections and by-elections
- Recall petitions
- Police and Crime Commissioner elections
- Local government elections in England
References in this guidance to a local government election should be read to include local government referendums unless otherwise stated.
The accepted forms of photographic ID are1 :
- a passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or a British Overseas Territory
- (for elections taking place on or before 30 April 2025) a passport issued by an EEA state, or a Commonwealth country (including an Irish Passport Card)
- (for elections taking place on or after 1 May 2025) a passport or passport card issued by an EEA state, or a country whose citizens are Commonwealth citizens
- a 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 biometric immigration document2
- an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
- a Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- (for elections taking place on or after 1 May 2025) a Ministry of Defence Form 100 (HM Armed Forces Veteran Card)
- a Blue Badge
- a national identity card issued by an EEA state
- an Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- an Oyster 60+ Card funded by the Government of the United Kingdom
- a Freedom Pass
- (for elections taking place on or before 30 April 2025) a Scottish National Entitlement Card issued in Scotland for the purposes of concessionary travel
- (for elections taking place on or after 1 May 2025) a National Entitlement Card issued by a local authority in Scotland
- a 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- a Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
- a Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- a Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- a War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- a 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- a Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
- an Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
Expired photographic identification documents can still be used as accepted photographic ID at the polling station or signing place, as long as the photograph is still a good likeness of the elector.
Where an individual does not have or does not wish to use one of these accepted forms of photographic ID, they can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. This is a document containing an elector’s name and photograph which can be obtained free of charge from their local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), following verification of an applicant’s identity.
Anonymous electors wishing to vote in person will also need to produce photographic ID. Due to their entry on the polling station register being linked to their electoral number, rather than their name, the only accepted form of photographic ID for an anonymous elector will be an Anonymous Elector’s Document. This is a document containing an anonymous elector’s elector number and photograph which can be obtained free of charge from their local ERO, following verification of an applicant’s identity.
The Voter Authority Certificate and Anonymous Elector’s Document cannot be used as proof of identity for any other purpose than for voting.
This guidance covers how individuals can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document, and how you as ERO should process and determine these applications. It also includes information on the production and delivery of these documents and what data should be retained following applications.
- 1. Rule 37, Schedule 1 Representation of the People Act 1983 ↩ Back to content at footnote 1
- 2. An eVisa is a biometric residence document in digital form. Currently no other form of photographic ID can be presented in digital format. ↩ Back to content at footnote 2