Voter Identification
Following a change in legislation, voters in Wales now need to show photo ID to vote at polling stations in some elections.
Voter ID is required for:
• Police and Crime Commissioner Elections
• UK Parliamentary Elections
• Recall petitions
Voter ID is not required for:
• Local Council Elections and by-elections
• Senedd Elections
What Photo ID can I use to vote?
| Acceptable Photo ID: |
Photo ID that is not accepted: |
| Passport |
Railcards |
| Photo Driving Licence including provisional |
Student ID’s |
| Blue Badge |
Photocopies of documents |
| Immigration documents |
Electronic copies of documents (e.g. photographs of ID on your phone) |
| PASS Card |
ID cards for your workplace |
| Photo concessionary travel pass |
|
The photo ID does not need to be in date, but the photograph must accurately represent your appearance.
A full list of the forms of photo ID that are acceptable can be found here; Accepted Forms of Photo ID - Electoral Commission
What if I don’t have any photo ID that is accepted?
You can apply for a free Voter ID document, also known as a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC). You will need to have registered to vote before you can apply for a VAC.
You can register to vote here.
To apply for a free Voter Authentication Certificate (VAC), you will need to provide a recent digital photograph and your National Insurance number (NI number).
The NI number is required to ensure that the person applying for the certificate is verified against the Department for Works and Pensions database. If the NI number does not match the check, then you will need to provide supporting evidence (bank statements, council tax bills, utility bills etc.) before your application can be processed.
Voters need to provide a photograph as part of the application process. Photographs can only be uploaded as a file, so make sure you take your photo before you start the application.
Just like passport photos, there are strict rules about acceptable digital photographs;
Rules about acceptable digital photographs
| Your photo must be: |
In your photo you must: |
| Clear and in focus |
Face forwards, looking straight at the camera |
| In colour |
Be alone, with no other objects or people |
| Against a plain, light-coloured background |
Have a plain expression |
| Your true likeness, with no photoshop or filters |
Have your eyes open and visible, with no hair in front of them |
| At least 600x750 pixels |
Do not wear sunglasses (normal glasses are fine if you usually wear them) |
| The format must be JPG, PNG or GIF – minimum 50KB, maximum 20MB |
Do not have a head covering (apart from religious or medical reasons) |
| |
Do not have ‘red-eye’, glare or shadows over your face |
You can apply for a VAC here.
The deadline to apply for a VAC is 5pm, 6 working days before the polling day (excluding bank holidays).
Certificates will be posted directly to your address on the electoral register. In some exceptional circumstances you may be able to collect your certificate from the Civic Centre.
What happens if I want to vote by post?
At present there is no need for residents who vote by post to provide photo ID when applying for a vote by post, but you will need to provide your date of birth and signature on the application and returned postal vote to verify that it is you who completed the postal vote.
More information about applying to vote by post can be found here.
What if there are two different polls being held on the same polling day, where voter ID is needed for one election, but not the other?
There may be circumstances where this is unavoidable. Where this happens, voters will need to provide ID to receive both ballot papers in the polling station. If you arrive to vote without appropriate photo ID, you will only be entitled to receive the ballot paper for the that does not require ID.
You would need to return to the polling station with appropriate photo ID to receive the other ballot paper/s.
Regardless of whether you have ID to present in the polling station or not, you must still ensure you are registered to vote.
You can register to vote here
If you are not registered to vote you will not be able to vote in the election, even with an accepted form of photo ID.