At UK Parliament elections, all electors are now required to show photo ID, when voting at a polling station. You can find acceptable forms of ID here. You don't need photo ID to vote by post. You don't need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you choose to vote this way.
If you do not have one of these forms of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. You need to be registered to vote before you apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. When you register to vote, you’ll be asked whether you have photo ID or if you want to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate.
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate will be 5pm six working days before the date of the election.
If you are unable to go online, you can apply by filling out the paper application form below and sending it to the Electoral Registration Office. If you are unable to print this form, contact the Electoral Registration Office.
When applying for a Voter Authority Certificate, you will need to provide your:
- name
- address
- date of birth
- National Insurance number
You should apply using the same name that you used to register to vote. If you don't know your National Insurance number you can find it on:
- payslips
- official letters about tax, pensions or benefits
You can still apply if you don’t know your National Insurance number, or don’t have one.
You will need to provide other forms of proof of identity, such as a birth certificate, bank statement and a utility bill. The Electoral Registration Office will contact you to arrange this.
If you don’t have any other accepted proof of identity, you can ask someone you know to confirm your identity. This is known as an attestation.
If you need any help applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact the Electoral Registration Office.
Providing a Photograph
You will need to submit a photo with your application. The requirements for the photo are similar to the requirements for a passport photo. If you need help taking a photo, then the Electoral Registration Office will be able to do this for you.
To be accepted the photo you provide must meet certain requirements in terms of style, quality and size. Find out more about applying for a voter authority certificate on the Electoral Commission's webpage.
Contact Details
Electoral Registration Office
T: 03451 55 55 11
Electoral Commission helpline: 0800 328 0280
