Residents wishing to vote in person at the local elections in Cambridge on Thursday 4 May now need to bring accepted photo ID, following the introduction of new legislation by the government.
Anyone who wishes to vote, and does not already have one of the accepted forms of ID, can still apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate online or by post before the deadline of 5pm next Tuesday 25 April.
A variety of different photo ID can be used to vote at polling stations on 4 May. These include:
- Passports issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, a state of the European Economic Area (EEA) or a Commonwealth country
- Driving licences issued by UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state
- Blue badges
- Older or disabled person’s bus passes
- Proof of Age Standards Scheme (PASS) cards
- Biometric immigration documents, and more.
View the complete list of acceptable forms of ID. Expired documents will be accepted if the photograph on the document still resembles the person in question.
Robert Pollock, returning officer for the local elections, said: “Elections in Cambridge will be a little different this year, now that there is a nationwide requirement to show photographic ID if you’re voting at a polling station. So we’re asking everyone visiting a polling station for their patience and cooperation as everyone gets used to a slightly different way of voting this year.
“I’d encourage everyone wishing to vote in these important elections to take a few moments as soon as possible to check whether they have one of the accepted forms of ID – and if not, to apply for the free Voter Authority Certificate before Tuesday’s deadline. Remember, you can also use a valid form of ID even if it’s out of date – as long as the photo still looks like you.
“The local elections are chance for you to get actively involved in decisions that affect where you live, and we want as many people as possible to have their say and for the voting process to go as smoothly as possible on 4 May.”
People can appoint someone else to vote on their behalf by applying to vote by proxy up until 5pm on Tuesday 25 April. The person appointed by proxy will need to go to the polling station on 4 May and have their own valid photo ID.
