Know Your Rights: Voter ID Laws in the UK

With new laws requiring people to have photo ID to vote, we report on everything you need to know about the changes and its impact on people experiencing marginalisation. 

Photo ID is required to vote in England, Scotland and Wales elections

From Thursday 4th May 2023, people in England, Scotland and Wales will need photo ID to vote in some elections. This law is currently for local elections, but from October 2023 will apply to UK general elections.

Elections where you’ll need a form of photo ID include:

  • Local elections
  • Police and Crime Commissioner elections
  • UK parliamentary by-elections
  • Recall petitions
  • UK general elections (from October 2023)

England

Photo ID will be required in local elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections, UK parliamentary by-elections and recall petitions. In October 2023, photographic identification will also be needed to vote. 

Scotland

While some elections in Scotland will require photo ID, this doesn’t include Scottish Parliament or council elections. Voters in Scotland will need photo ID for general elections and local government elections in England. 

Wales

In Wales, photo ID will be required for Police and Crime Commissioner elections, UK parliamentary by-election and recall petitions.

Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland already has implemented photo ID laws since 2003.

Why do people need to show a photo ID to vote?

The Conservative government’s 2019 manifesto laid out plans to introduce photo ID. They argued this new legislation will help to prevent voter fraud. 

However, there is countless research to suggest that voter fraud isn’t an issue in UK elections. Campaigners and community groups have also expressed deep concern around the impacts this law will have on people experiencing marginalisation. 

Some reports describe an estimated £40 million cost over a decade to roll out the legislation.

How many people won’t be able to vote in elections because of voter ID?

The government carried out research on photo IDs in 2021. Their findings showed 4% of the population don’t have eligible identification to vote. This means around  1.9 million people will be excluded from elections, Jonathan Este wrote in The Conversation.

When Northern Ireland introduced photo ID laws, ”it was estimated that 2.3% of the electorate were refused a vote for not presenting the required identification.”

The impacts of photo ID laws for people experiencing marginalisation

Channel 4 reported multiple groups will be impacted. This includes disabled people, Traveller communities, people experiencing homelessness, and trans and non-binary folks who “have been identified by the Commission as likely to need support with the new voter ID requirement.” 

These are some of the ways people experiencing marginalisation will be affected by the new law. 

Racialised people

“The Windrush scandal showed the disastrous consequence of asking people to prove their identity to access vital public services,” Alba Kapoor wrote for Runnymede.

“Black British citizens were denied hospital treatment, lost their homes and jobs, and were made destitute when rigid ID requirements were imposed on them. This Bill will compound the barriers that are already facing (racialised) communities in our democracy.”

They also reported that 38% of Asian people and 48% of Black people don’t have a driver's licence, while 66% of people from Traveller communities don’t have a passport. 

Trans, non-binary and gender nonconforming people 

An officer at a polling station can refuse your right to vote if they think there is “a reasonable doubt” you're not the person you claim to be from your photos. 

LGBT Hero states, “if your name, appearance, or gender expression appear different to the photo ID you’re using, this could potentially prevent you from being given a ballot paper.”

People on low incomes

As many forms of ID cost money, “1.7 million [people on a low income] will be prevented from voting under the new law,” Joseph Rowntree Foundation reported in 2021. With the rise in the cost of living, people will continue to struggle to afford photo ID.

While the government has introduced a free scheme to obtain a photo ID, only 1% of people have signed up for it. The form of ID, a Voter Authority Certificate, allows people without current required photo identification to vote. 

There has been little mention of the Voter Authority Certificate, with one in four people not knowing they need photo ID in the upcoming local elections.

Statistics on electoral fraud in the UK

Electoral fraud in the UK has been disputed multiple times.

595 cases of alleged electoral fraud were investigated in the UK’s last general election in 2019. Only four of these led to a conviction, with two people given a police caution. This was from a turnout of 47,568,611 voters.

In this same election, six counts were ballot fraud. And in 2021, 315 cases of voter fraud were investigated - but none led to any convictions.

What photo ID is accepted to vote in elections?

All forms of voter ID need to be the original version and not a photocopy. You’ll only need one accepted photo ID to vote.

The Electoral Commission lists the following valid ID:

International travel

  • Passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country.

Driving 

  • Driving licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (this includes a provisional driving licence)
  • A Blue Badge

Local travel

  • Older Person’s Bus Pass (funded by the UK government)
  • Disabled Person’s Bus Pass (funded by the UK government)
  • Oyster 60+ Card (funded by the UK government)
  • Freedom Pass
  • Scottish National Entitlement Card
  • 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
  • Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card
  • Senior SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • War Disablement SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • 60+ SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland
  • Half Fare SmartPass issued in Northern Ireland

Proof of age

  • Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

Other government issued documents that are accepted include:

  • Biometric Immigration Document
  • Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
  • Electoral Identity Card issued in Northern Ireland
  • Voter Authority Certificate
  • Anonymous Elector's Document

You can use an out-of-date photo ID, as long as the photo looks like you. The name on this ID needs to be the one you register to vote with. 

It’s worth noting that there are barriers to the forms of identification that’s accepted. For example, 60+ voters can use Oyster Cards as voting ID in London, while young people using an 18+ Oyster can’t. 

Where can I apply for a photo ID?

UK-wide

England, Scotland and Wales

England

London

Wales

Northern Ireland

What if I don’t have a photo ID?

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. This is a free voter ID document which will allow you to still take part in elections. 

The criteria to apply for this includes:

  • Not having an accepted form of photo ID
  • Unsure if your photo ID  still looks like you
  • Concern around using your current form of ID for other reasons. For example, your voting ID has your sex assigned at birth that doesn’t align with your gender

In order to receive a Voter Authority Certificate, you need to register to vote. The document doesn’t include your gender. 

Can I still vote anonymously?

You can still vote anonymously. However, you will be asked to show your poll card and Anonymous Elector’s Document (AED).

If you’d like to register to vote anonymously, you can find out more via the Electoral Commission. 

Can I still ask someone to vote on my behalf (proxy vote)?

You’ll still be able to ask someone to vote on your behalf, if needed. They will need to be a registered voter and have valid photo ID to do so.

You can apply for a proxy vote under one of the following reasons:

  • You’re away on polling day
  • You have a medical issue or disability where you can’t go to a polling station in person
  • Unable to vote in person because of work or military service

Do I need a photo ID if I’m making a postal vote?

You can apply for a postal vote and take part in elections without a photo ID. If you’re planning to do this, you’ll need:

  • Proof of your identity when applying
  • Making an application every three years

You will only be allowed to hand in postal votes at a polling station for:

  • Yourself or family members 
  • Someone who you’re a designated carer for
  • No more than six people 

You won’t be required to provide any photo ID if you’re hand delivering a postal vote. 

Will I be required to take off any face coverings?

Anyone wearing a face covering, like a niqab, will be required to remove them before voting. While there are reports of this involving a privacy screen, Muslim communities have spoken out on the lack of clarity and inclusivity. 

“One such concern, for example, is whether any provisions currently exist for Muslim women who wear the niqab that may enable them to readily cast their vote at the polling booth. Without a clear, inclusive protocol in place at polling stations, veiled British Muslim women are set to be disenfranchised from casting their vote altogether,” a spokesperson for the Muslim Council of Britain said to The Big Issue.

Your rights at a polling station

  • When you’re at a polling station, only the clerk needs to inspect your photo ID or Voter Authority Certificate. It’s only with your permission that they can show it to anyone else
  • The exception to this is when your photo ID is challenged - for example if the clerk doesn’t think it’s you in the picture
  • You can ask to show your ID in private in this instance. Your request must be agreed to and you should be taken to a private place in the polling station
  • If you’re refused a ballot paper for the first time, you can try with another photo ID
  • If you’re refused a ballot paper, the officer must record your electoral number and the reason for your refusal
  • They aren’t required to tell you why they refused the photo ID. It can’t be challenged in “any further proceedings” either 

Learn more about your voting rights

This piece was written by Spark & Co.’s Digital Marketing and Website Support Lead, Cherokee Seebalack (They/Them).