Voter ID

Foxygloves

From the website
Apply for photo ID to vote
It’s free to apply. You’ll need
a recent, digital photo of yourself
your National Insurance number
You can still apply if you do not have a National Insurance number. You’ll need to provide other documents to prove your identity, for example a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill.
Start now

Other ways to apply

You can also apply by post.

There’s a different form for applying by post if you live abroad, you’re in the armed forces, a Crown Servant or a British Council employee.

You’ll need to print, fill out and send the form to your local Electoral Registration Office.

Get help applying
You can get help applying from your local Electoral Registration Office

^There’s an easy read guide about applying for a Voter Authority Certificate^

You do realise, I hope, that not everyone has access to the Internet.

Froglady

Glorianny

I was thinking before I got my bus pass my only ID would have been my passport. There was a period when I let it get out of date, would it have been accepted I wonder?
All irrelevant anyway I have a postal vote and nobody checks. I could give the form to someone let them decide and as long as I signed no one would know. Perhaps the focus for stopping voting fraud should be elsewhere.

My point exactly.

And if you had enough money and wanted to you could buy postal votes. You'd just need to go round a bit before election day, check what people were putting and pay them. If you were feeling generous you could post their vote for them!

Germanshepherdsmum

‘For many it would have been difficult to get suitable ID’. There was plenty of information and it wasn’t difficult.

It was not difficult for you, or for me, and for many people with our lifestyle and education- indeed. It was for many others, for all sorts of reasons. Step out of your bubble ...

Glorianny

I was thinking before I got my bus pass my only ID would have been my passport. There was a period when I let it get out of date, would it have been accepted I wonder?
All irrelevant anyway I have a postal vote and nobody checks. I could give the form to someone let them decide and as long as I signed no one would know. Perhaps the focus for stopping voting fraud should be elsewhere.

My point exactly.

From the website
Apply for photo ID to vote
It’s free to apply. You’ll need
a recent, digital photo of yourself
your National Insurance number
You can still apply if you do not have a National Insurance number. You’ll need to provide other documents to prove your identity, for example a birth certificate, bank statement and utility bill.
Start now

Other ways to apply

You can also apply by post.

There’s a different form for applying by post if you live abroad, you’re in the armed forces, a Crown Servant or a British Council employee.

You’ll need to print, fill out and send the form to your local Electoral Registration Office.

Get help applying
You can get help applying from your local Electoral Registration Office

There’s an easy read guide about applying for a Voter Authority Certificate

My daughter had her postal vote rejected. They are checked against a signature on file.

Mollygo

I agree. One year is a short time for things to change, even if you’re being reminded that the change is going to happen.
It didn’t feel like that when I was waiting for my pay rise after being underpaid for such a long time, but that was for something I wanted to happen.

How long is ‘not short?’

2 years, 5 years, 10 years?

A year is reasonable.

‘For many it would have been difficult to get suitable ID’. There was plenty of information and it wasn’t difficult.

I agree. One year is a short time for things to change, even if you’re being reminded that the change is going to happen.
It didn’t feel like that when I was waiting for my pay rise after being underpaid for such a long time, but that was for something I wanted to happen.

Foxygloves

Oh put the violins away @*Fleurpepper*.
There is nothing elitist in bus passes!
Nor was this introduced suddenly, at short notice or without notice.
Clearly and deliberately to discriminate against poorer members of society
Come off it - rammy in an empty room?

1 year is a very short time in history, after many so so many decades of being able to vote with official ID.

And to not acknowledge that there are many people without a driving licence or passport- and that a Bus pass is limited to one age group! Nothing elitist in Young Person's Travel card either, but it didn't count.

Many people are disenfranchised in so many ways, and for many it would have been difficult to get suitable ID. Lovely little bubble you live in.

Or would be horrified if I looked like my passport photo- my near relationship to Rosa Klebb all too apparent

Callistemon21

^Apparently your out-of-date passport would have been accepted, if the picture still looked like you^

Even my up-to-date passport photo doesn't look like me!

Recently returned from a cruise and I was sent to the desk for a check because the electronic check didn’t think my passport picture look like me.

Apparently your out-of-date passport would have been accepted, if the picture still looked like you

Even my up-to-date passport photo doesn't look like me!

Oh put the violins away @*Fleurpepper*.
There is nothing elitist in bus passes!
Nor was this introduced suddenly, at short notice or without notice.
Clearly and deliberately to discriminate against poorer members of society
Come off it - rammy in an empty room?

But to spring the idea of ID all of a suddent for local elections was so so wrong

I don't think a year could be considered all of a sudden
🤔

Glorianny

I was thinking before I got my bus pass my only ID would have been my passport. There was a period when I let it get out of date, would it have been accepted I wonder?
All irrelevant anyway I have a postal vote and nobody checks. I could give the form to someone let them decide and as long as I signed no one would know. Perhaps the focus for stopping voting fraud should be elsewhere.

Apparently your out-of-date passport would have been accepted, if the picture still looked like you.

PS. The pictures on my bus pass, passport and driving licence all look different - and I don't think any of them particularly look like me.

MaizieD

Elusivebutterfly

My DB was a Tory candidate and said that quite a lot of very elderly voters did not know about ID so were turned away, and did not want to return with ID. He believes that is one reason why the Tories did so badly.

Well, if the tories can convince themselves that that is the true reason for their appalling results perhaps they'll repeal the utterly ridiculous legislation in time for the next GE..

In the meantime I can only find this really amusing. Hoist with their own petard...

Couldn't have said it better.

As said before, the question of official ID in the UK is very much worth debating and I can argue on both sides, pros and cons.

But to spring the idea of ID all of a suddent for local elections was so so wrong. Either you do it properly and officially, or not at all. And how ridiculous that no checks for postal votes !?!

So so middle class and, Tory- to say everyone has ID, either driving licence, passport or bus pass. And for young people to believe they had ID in the form of Young person's travel Pass- and to be turned away, and others. Clearly and deliberately to discriminate against poorer members of society.

So if many older Tories got caught up in this, yes, karma indeed, I am afraid.

I was thinking before I got my bus pass my only ID would have been my passport. There was a period when I let it get out of date, would it have been accepted I wonder?
All irrelevant anyway I have a postal vote and nobody checks. I could give the form to someone let them decide and as long as I signed no one would know. Perhaps the focus for stopping voting fraud should be elsewhere.

dayvidg

Just wondering - would anyone have deliberately not produced the required I.D. for personal/publicity purposes?

Ooh that’s not very likely is it! 🤣🤣🤣

MaizieD

Elusivebutterfly

My DB was a Tory candidate and said that quite a lot of very elderly voters did not know about ID so were turned away, and did not want to return with ID. He believes that is one reason why the Tories did so badly.

Well, if the tories can convince themselves that that is the true reason for their appalling results perhaps they'll repeal the utterly ridiculous legislation in time for the next GE..

In the meantime I can only find this really amusing. Hoist with their own petard...

Perhaps the IT / tech savvy young made sure they had the right ID, voted Labour, and some of the less-aware elderly didn't and couldn't therefore vote Tory (assuming that was their intention).

Now that's what I call 'karma'.

Elusivebutterfly

My DB was a Tory candidate and said that quite a lot of very elderly voters did not know about ID so were turned away, and did not want to return with ID. He believes that is one reason why the Tories did so badly.

Well, if the tories can convince themselves that that is the true reason for their appalling results perhaps they'll repeal the utterly ridiculous legislation in time for the next GE..

In the meantime I can only find this really amusing. Hoist with their own petard...

My DB was a Tory candidate and said that quite a lot of very elderly voters did not know about ID so were turned away, and did not want to return with ID. He believes that is one reason why the Tories did so badly.

for those who bleat “we didna ken “ (we didn’t know)
“Well ye ken noo “

There's been very little mention of it in Scotland because Scotland hasn't been having any council elections.
So it'll need to be well publicised before whatever election we have next, not just assume we've all already been told.

Froglady

I have a postal vote and have had one for years: nobody came to check that I was the person who had the postal vote.
I feel the government has used a sledge hammer to crack what is a very small problem of voting fraud. And there's probably more fraud going on with postal votes but that hasn't been tackled.

I seem to remember that years ago, when you had to have a 'good' reason for wanting a postal vote, you also had to get someone to sign to confirm you were the right person voting.
Not foolproof, obviously, but a small check.

I expect things will be reviewed before the next (General?) Election.

Perhaps certain other forms of I/D will be added to the list of acceptable items?