Do I need a photo ID and my polling card to vote in the elections?

Key developments are emerging from the global stage. What photo ID will you need to vote in the elections? 2 days ago Share Save Add as preferred on GoogleJennifer ClarkeFinnbar Webster / Getty ImagesPolls opened across Wales for the Senedd elections on Thursday, on the same day as local elections in England and the Scottish Parliament electionEveryone voting in person in the local elections in England on 7 May will have to show valid photo ID. However, people in Scotland and Wales will not need to show ID to vote in the Scottish Parliament or Senedd elections being held on the same day.

What voter ID can you use in the England local elections on 7 May? More than 20 forms of ID will be accepted, including:passportsdriving licencesolder or Disabled Person's bus passesOyster 60+ cardsArmed Forces Veteran CardsYou can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same. If you wear a face covering, such as a medical mask or a veil worn on religious grounds, you will be asked to remove it briefly so polling station staff can check that your ID looks like you.

The Details

The government has said that voters will also be able to prove their ID with a UK-issued bank card showing their name at the next general election. The election must be held by 2029 but could be earlier. A simple guide to the May elections in England, Scotland and WalesSelfies, dogs, clothes, kids and drinking: What can't you do in a polling station?

What if you don't have an acceptable form of ID? Voters in England whose ID is lost or stolen can apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 17:00 on polling day. Both they and their proxy - the person nominated to vote on their behalf - must already be registered to vote.

The proxy must have correct ID. For future elections, you can exchange a paper driving licence for a photocard, or apply for a photocard travel pass if you are aged 60 or over, disabled or registered blind or partially sighted. Alternatively, anyone registered to vote without the correct ID - or who no longer looks like their photo - can apply for a free document known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

What Experts Say

The deadline to apply for a certificate to use on 7 May has passed. Will I be turned away at the polling station if I don't have ID? EPAIf you go to the polling station without the correct ID, you will be asked to come back with valid documentation.

If you think your ID has been wrongly rejected, the Electoral Commission - which oversees UK elections - says you should notify the presiding officer at the polling station. If this does not resolve the issue, you can raise your concerns with your council's returning officer. Polling station staff record how many voters are turned away, as well as the number who return with valid ID.

The Electoral Commission said 0. 4% of those who tried to vote at a polling station in the May 2025 local elections were turned away due to the voter ID requirements. Of those initially turned away, 71% returned to vote later.

The development has drawn wide international attention, with diplomatic circles watching closely.