Guidance for Candidates at Parish council elections in England

Most people choose to vote in person at their polling station. Any person on the polling station’s electoral register can vote at the polling station in a local election, unless:

• they are a registered postal voter
• they are a registered proxy voter and their proxy has already voted for them or has applied to vote on their behalf by post
• they are not 18 years of age or older on polling day
• they are registered as an overseas elector

Electors will receive a poll card before the election telling them where and when they can vote. Electors do not need to take their poll card to the polling station in order to vote, unless they are registered anonymously due to a risk to their safety.

Photographic ID requirements

Electors voting in a polling station will be required to show photographic ID before they are issued with a ballot paper. The accepted forms of photographic ID are:1

• a 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)
• a driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state
• a biometric immigration document
• an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
• a Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
• a Blue Badge
• a national identity card issued by an EEA state
• an Older Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
• a Disabled Person’s Bus Pass funded by the UK Government
• an Oyster 60+ Card funded by the UK Government
• a Freedom Pass
• a Scottish National Entitlement Card for the purpose of concessionary travel
• 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 ID documents can still be used as accepted photographic ID at the polling station, as long as the photograph is still a good likeness of the elector.

Where an elector does not have one of the accepted forms of photographic ID, they can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate in a number of ways: 

• online at https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate 
• in writing on a paper application form
• in person, if the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is offering this service at their office

Anonymous electors wishing to vote in person will be required to apply for an Anonymous Elector’s Document. An application for an Anonymous Elector’s document can only be made in writing, using a paper application form. Your local ERO will be able to provide the elector with this form on request. The application form can then be returned to the ERO by the elector by post, by hand or by emailing a scanned copy.

Candidates and agents should not handle completed applications for Voter Authority Certificates or Anonymous Elector’s Documents. Further information is provided in our code of conduct for campaigners in Great Britain.

Return of postal ballot packs

Registered postal voters cannot be issued with a ballot paper at the polling station, but they can return their completed postal ballot pack to their polling station on polling day. Alternatively, they may return their postal vote to any polling station in the ward or by hand to the Returning Officer (RO) at the elections office.

If the RO has issued postal ballot packs for more than one election on the same day, they will provide information to the electors to explain where their postal ballot packs can be returned to. 

Postal ballot packs returned to polling stations must be handed to polling station staff and not placed in the ballot box. 

For polls held on or after 2 May 2024

The Elections Act 2022 introduced legislation which restricts the handling of postal voting documents by campaigners. The legislation will be in force for polls held on or after 2 May 2024.

It is an offence for a political campaigner to handle completed ballot papers or postal ballot packs for voters who are not close family or someone they care for.

It also sets a limit for the number of postal votes that can be handed in to a polling station or handed to the RO and introduces a requirement the completion of a form when doing so. 

A person can hand in postal votes on behalf of five other electors as well as their own.

A person who hands in a postal vote is required to complete a form containing information required by law. Failure to complete the form will result in the rejection of the postal votes that are handed in at a polling station or handed to the RO.