Running electoral registration - Wales

The exceptions and attestation processes for Voter Authority Certificates and Anonymous Elector’s Documents

You must require applicants to provide additional evidence where you consider it is necessary to verify the applicant’s identity. This may be because:

  • they are unable to state their personal identifier(s)1
  • the personal identifiers cannot be matched against DWP records, or 
  • an applicant cannot be matched against local data, or you choose not to use this option 

This additional evidence may be in the form of supporting documents verifying that they are who they say they are, known as the exceptions process, or by providing a statement from another individual confirming the applicant’s identity, known as the attestation process. 

You are not required to request additional evidence where the applicant is under 16 and educational records relating to the applicant can be used to verify their identity.2

Last updated: 18 November 2022