Voting in May 2023 Elections – PHOTO ID REQUIRED
Residents in Woking borough will NEED to show PHOTOGRAPHIC ID to vote in person at this year’s local election on Thursday 4 May 2023.
The new national requirement, introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act (link is external), was passed last year and comes into effect for the first time this May. To help residents to prepare in advance, Woking Borough Council is asking residents to check if they already have accepted forms of photo ID. These include:
- a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport
- a UK, EEA or Commonwealth driver’s licence
- some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card.
The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.
Any resident who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply online for free photographic ID, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. Alternatively, they can contact the council’s elections team to request a paper application form or apply in person at the Civic Offices by making an appointment.
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
If you can’t visit a polling station, you can also request a postal ballot. Click here find out the details.
The deadline for new postal vote applications and changing or cancelling existing postal or postal proxy vote arrangements, is 5pm on Tuesday 18 April 2023.
Leave a Reply