The attestation process for Voter Authority Certificates and Anonymous Elector’s Documents
If you require an attestation for an applicant in respect of their application, you must inform them that the deadline for submitting the attestation is 28 days after the date you notify the applicant it is required1
and that their application may be rejected if they fail or refuse to provide the attestation.2
confirm that the applicant is the person named in the application
state that the qualifying attestor is aware of the penalty for providing false information to a registration officer
be in writing and signed by the qualifying attestor
state the full name, date of birth, address, electoral number, and occupation of the qualifying attestor
state the date on which it is made
You could either design a form containing the necessary legal statements and requirements for an attestation or set the detail out in your communication with the applicant.
You should also provide examples of a person of good standing to help the applicant to identify a suitable attestor. You should advise the applicant that an attestor is not permitted to charge for providing an attestation.
If the Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document is needed for a forthcoming poll or petition, you should encourage the applicant to supply the attestation to you as soon as possible and up to and including any time on polling day for an election or the last day for signing at a petition.
An attestation may be delivered to your office by hand or by post. Delivery by electronic means, such as email, is not acceptable.
Where an applicant is not physically able to deliver their attestation to you, you may choose to send a member of staff to the applicant’s registered address to collect the attestation in person.
The attestor is required to supply their electoral number as part of their attestation.4
You should be aware that you may receive requests from potential attestors to supply this information.