Running electoral registration - Scotland

Deadlines for applications for Voter Authority Certificates or Anonymous Elector's Documents for a particular election or petition

Applications for Voter Authority Certificates or Anonymous Elector’s Documents can be made at any time. You should determine applications as soon as practicable.

The deadline for applications for a particular election or petition are:

  • election - 5pm, 6 working days before polling day
  • petition - 5pm, 6 working days before the last day of the signing period for that petition 

The deadlines are statutory - there can be no extension to the deadline for any reason. Applications received after the relevant deadline cannot be processed for the particular election or petition.
 
Applications received before the deadline can be determined after the deadline and at any point up to and including the day of the relevant election or last day of a signing petition. For more information on determining applications see our guidance Determining an application for a Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document.
 
Regardless of the relevant date on a paper form, you must have received the application for a Voter Authority Certificate by 5pm, 6 working days before polling day or before the last day of the signing period for that petition to be able to issue a Voter Authority Certificate in time for that specific election or petition.1  

You should notify an applicant if their application arrives too late to be processed for a particular election or petition. You should explain that:

  • their application arrived after the deadline for the particular election or petition
  • their application will still be processed, and a Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector’s Document will be produced for use at future elections or petitions
  • if they are an ordinary elector, they will still be able to vote or sign the petition if they are able to provide another form of photographic ID. You should include the list of accepted forms of photographic ID they can use
  • if they are an anonymous elector, they will only be able to vote or sign a petition by appointing an emergency proxy
Last updated: 18 November 2022