Running electoral registration - Scotland

Anonymous electors wishing to vote in person in relevant elections at the polling station or sign a signing sheet at a signing place for a petition will need to produce an Anonymous Elector’s Document as their photographic ID. This is a document containing an elector’s elector number and photograph produced by you as ERO, following verification of an individual’s identity. Anonymous electors cannot use other forms of photographic ID. Anonymous electors will still also be required to produce their poll card when voting in person or signing a petition.

Notifying existing anonymous electors about the requirement to have an Anonymous Elector’s Document

You must notify all existing qualifying anonymous electors on your register of the new requirement to have an Anonymous Elector’s Document if they want to vote in person in relevant elections at the polling station or sign a signing sheet at a signing place for a petition.

A qualifying anonymous elector means a person who has an anonymous entry in a register of parliamentary electors.

You must send this notice by post no later than the end of the period of two months beginning with the day on which this regulation comes into force, unless the qualifying elector’s entry is removed from the register of electors, or the registration officer has already sent a notice with a registration renewal1 . 

Notifying new anonymous electors about the requirement to have an Anonymous Elector’s Document at the point of application

When a person registers as an anonymous elector in a register of parliamentary electors for the first time you must send them a notice by post as soon as is reasonably practicable to tell them that they must have an Anonymous Elector’s Document if they want to vote in person at relevant elections at the polling station or sign a signing sheet at a signing place for a petition2 . 

Notifying anonymous electors about the requirement to have an Anonymous Elector’s Document when they are due to renew their registration

You are required during the relevant period to send all qualifying anonymous electors on your register a reminder notice, by post, of the requirement to have an Anonymous Elector’s Document if they want to vote in person in relevant elections at the polling station or sign a signing sheet at a signing place for a petition. 

The relevant period means the one-month period that begins on the day which is nine months after the day on which the person’s anonymous entry first takes effect and ends with the day which is ten months after the day on which that entry first takes effect3 . 

This notice should be combined with the annual reminders sent to anonymous electors to renew their registration4 .

You are not required to send this notice to an anonymous elector who has a postal vote or who votes by proxy.