Did you know you now need photo ID to vote?

You will need to show photo identification (ID) when voting at a polling station. This is a new government requirement which will affect the South Glos local elections in May. Lots of photo IDs are acceptable, including some passports, driving licences, blue badges, and some bus passes. Check the full list of acceptable photo ID on our website. If you haven’t got one of these, or you no longer look like the photo on your ID, or the name on your photo ID is different to your name on the electoral register, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. You will need to do this by the 25 April deadline. You can apply for the certificate using the government portal.

Alternatively, the council can help you apply in person at its Badminton Road offices where someone can take your photograph and submit your application online for you. Call 01454

863030 to make an appointment which will be during normal office hours. Find out more about Voter ID on the council’s elections and voting webpages southglos.gov.uk/vote.

Postal votes

If you cannot get to the polling station on 4 May or if it is more convenient, you can apply to vote by post. Anyone can apply for a postal vote, but you need to apply before 18 April. You won’t have to provide voter ID unless you have lost your postal vote and need to be issued with a new one. You will need to complete an application form on the Electoral Commission page. Postal votes can be sent to your home address or to any other address where you’ll be staying on the day of the election, including abroad. We can’t guarantee timings of post sent abroad so you may wish to register to vote by proxy so someone else can vote on your behalf. Find out more about postal and proxy votes at southglos. gov.uk/vote.