Residents of the Stokes are being reminded that photo identification (ID) will be required in order to vote in person at a polling station in the upcoming local elections on Thursday 4th May 2023.
This is because the Elections Act 2022, passed in April last year, introduced the requirement of identification at polling stations for general elections across all of Great Britain, as well as local elections in England and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in both England and Wales.
Which forms of ID you can use
You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable. For example, you can use any of the following:
- 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 licence issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man or an EEA state
biometric immigration document - Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
- Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- Blue badge
- National identity card issued by an EEA state
- Older person’s bus pass
- Disabled person’s bus pass
For a full list of the acceptable forms of photo ID, visit the following page on the Electoral Commission website:
Voters without an accepted form of photo ID can apply online for a free Voter Authority Certificate on the GOV.UK website:
? Apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’)
You’ll need to complete your application by 5pm on Tuesday 25th April 2023 to get a Voter Authority Certificate for the upcoming local elections.
If you vote by post (see below) you do not need to provide ID, unless your postal vote is lost or stolen, in which case you will then need to provide suitable ID for a replacement postal vote.
Registering to vote
The deadline for registering to vote in the upcoming local elections is midnight on Monday 17th April 2023. Everyone who is registered should by now have received a poll card in the post. If you haven’t received a poll card, you may not be registered to vote, or your details may need updating on the electoral register.
You can check if you are on the electoral register by calling 01454 863030 or emailing electoral.services@southglos.gov.uk
It only takes five minutes to register on the GOV.UK website.
Voting by post
If you cannot go to the polling station on the day of the elections, you can apply to vote by post. Anyone can apply for a postal vote and you don’t need to give a reason.
Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at South Gloucestershire Council (SGC) by 5pm on Tuesday 18th April 2023.
Further details: Vote by post (SGC)
Related links
The Bradley Stoke Journal (BSJ) and Stoke Gifford Journal (SGJ) both maintain information pages about the upcoming local elections, each of which includes lists of the candidates who are standing in each ward. Candidate profiles and photos will be added to these pages in due course (where available).
Bradley Stoke
- 2023 District Elections (BSJ)
- 2023 Town Elections (BSJ)
Stoke Gifford
- 2023 District Elections (SGJ)
- 2023 Parish Elections (SGJ)
