Photo ID for voting: Plan your identification documents now, urges Post Office

Voters are advised to consider whether there is enough time for a new passport or driver's licence to be returned to them if they are intending to use it as their photo ID in order to vote at the elections on May 4.

Elinor Hull, Post Office identity services director, said: "No one wants to see someone turned away from voting at a polling station because they don't have the required form of ID with them.

"Our postmasters handle thousands of applications for passport and driver's licence renewals every week as people still prefer to do this face to face and have peace of mind that their application has been checked and completed correctly.

"Many people with an expiring passport will be desperate to renew it before the summer holidays, but if you're planning to do so around the local elections it's important to consider what other form of photo ID you have to vote. We know from sales of our own Post Office PASS card how popular it is among younger people.

"We want to do what we can to raise awareness among young people in particular that they may already have an acceptable form of photo ID that's in their wallet, that they likely use it frequently in their day-to-day life and that they can use it to vote at May's elections."

Anyone hoping to cast a ballot will not only need to be registered to vote but also display a form of photo identification, which is compulsory in England for the first time.

Not all types of photo ID will be accepted, but a passport or driving licence are valid.

Anyone without the correct identification needs to apply for a special certificate by April 25, while the deadline to register to vote is April 17.

Craig Westwood, director of communications at the Electoral Commission, previously said: “

For the first time in England, voters will need to show photographic ID before they receive a ballot paper in a polling station.

“There are a range of IDs that can be used, and the full list can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website. We encourage everyone to check now that they have an accepted form of ID.

“Anyone that does not can apply for a free ID, known as the Voter Authority Certificate. This can be done quickly online or by submitting a paper form to your local authority. The deadline for applying is 5pm on April 25. It is important that everyone makes sure they have an accepted form of ID if they intend to vote at a polling station. Postal voting is not affected by the new ID requirement.”

Along with a passport and driving licence, other forms of valid ID include a blue badge and the older person’s bus pass, but travelcards for younger people are not accepted.

Compulsory photo ID will “protect the integrity of democracy in the UK” and “ensure the electoral system remains secure, transparent and fair for generations to come”, the Government said when the proposals became law in April 2022.