The Elections Act 2022 has introduced a new requirement from Thursday 4 May 2023 for voters in England to show photo ID before voting in person at a polling station. This will apply to Local elections, Police and Crime Commissioner elections, UK parliamentary by-elections, Recall petitions and from October 2023 it will also apply to UK General elections.
You will not need photo ID if you vote by post or have appointed a proxy, however your proxy will need their own photo ID if they vote for you in a polling station.
If you are registered to vote but don’t hold one of the acceptable forms of photo ID ( passport, driving license, bus pass, blue badge etc ), you can apply for a voter authority certificate free of charge following verification of your identity. However the voter authority certificate can only be used for the purposes of voting in a polling station. It cannot be used as proof of age or identity for any other reason.
When you apply for a voter authority certificate, you must provide a suitable photograph, either through the online application process or submitted with a paper application. If you are unable to do so, you will be able to explain why, such as with a medical condition. The deadline to apply for a voter authority certificate will be 5pm, six working days before polling day.
For the City and Parish Council elections on 4 May 2023, the deadline for applications will be 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
Full details for the Sheffield area , including acceptable forms of photo ID are on Sheffield City Council’s website..
