Martin Lewis’ MSE issues two-week ‘act now’ warning ahead of local elections

12 April 2023 , 09:39

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Martin Lewis' website has warned voters to bring ID for the local elections (Image: S Meddle/ITV/REX/Shutterstock)

Martin Lewis’ MoneySavingExpert website has issued a two-week warning ahead of the local elections.

All voters in England, Scotland and Wales will need ID to vote from next month. This will also apply to UK general elections from October 2023.

If you don’t have any ID, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate - but you need to do this by April 25 if you want to vote in the local elections in England.

The local elections will take place on May 4.

In the latest MSE newsletter, the money-saving team warned: “Act NOW - if you've no photo ID, you WON'T be allowed to vote in May.”

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Voters in Northern Ireland have been required to bring ID when voting since 2003.

These forms of photo ID are accepted when voting at a polling station:

• 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, includes provisional driving licences)

• PASS card (identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram)

• Biometric immigration document

• Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)

• National identity card issued by an EEA state

• Blue Badge

• Older Person’s Bus Pass

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• Disabled Person’s Bus Pass

• Oyster 60+ Card

• Freedom Pass

• Scottish National Entitlement Card

• 60 and Over Welsh Concessionary Travel Card

• Disabled Person’s Welsh Concessionary Travel Card

• Senior SmartPass (issued in Northern Ireland)

• Registered Blind SmartPass or Blind Person’s SmartPass (issued in Northern Ireland)

• War Disablement SmartPass (issued in Northern Ireland)

• 60+ SmartPass (issued in Northern Ireland)

• Half Fare SmartPass (issued in Northern Ireland)

• Electoral Identity Card (issued in Northern Ireland)

You can use out of date ID to vote, but the photo needs to look like you and must use the same name you registered with to vote.

I don’t have ID - can I still vote?

You can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate online or by post - but this needs to be done by 5pm on April 25 if you want to vote in person for the local elections.

In order to do this, you need to be registered to vote, have a recent photo of yourself and have your National Insurance number to hand.

You can also apply to vote by post if you don’t have ID.

Levi Winchester