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Voter ID Roadshows

23rd February 2023

 

Spelthorne will be holding events in the Borough to help residents apply for their free Voter Authority Certificate (Voter ID) if needed.

Voter identification (ID) will be required for the first time in polling stations from May 2023. This means that electors will now be required to show photographic identification at polling stations before they are given a ballot paper.

This will affect all electors who vote in person or by proxy, at the next Borough Council elections on Thursday 4 May 2023.

If an elector or their proxy does not have an accepted form of ID1 and wants to vote at the polling station, they will need to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. This is a free photographic identification document solely for the purposes of voting. You can apply here: www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate

The Council will be holding drop-in sessions at local Community Centres and libraries for residents who don’t have access to a computer to assist them with their Voter ID application on the following dates:

6 March – Staines Community Centre (Thames Street, Staines-upon-Thames, Staines TW18 4EA) – 9am to 11.30am

7 March – Greeno Community Centre (14 Meadow View, Glebeland Gardens, Shepperton TW17 9DH) – 10am to 12pm

8 March – Fordbridge Community Centre (Clarendon Road, Ashford TW15 2QA) – 9am to 12pm

9 March – Sunbury Library (41-43, The Parade, 41-43 Staines Rd West, Sunbury-on-Thames TW16 7AB) – 10am to 1pm

14 March – Stanwell Library (Hadrian Way, Stanwell, Surrey TW19 7HF) – 9am to 1pm

14 March – Stanwell Moor Village Hall (Horton Rd, Staines-upon-Thames, Stanwell Moor, Staines TW19 6AQ) – 2pm to 5pm

Residents will need to bring their National Insurance number or ‘three or four’ forms of identification to apply for this2.

Daniel Mouawad, Returning Officer for Spelthorne, said: “We believe it is important that everyone eligible can vote in the elections. Voter ID is the biggest change to our elections system in decades and we want to ensure all residents are aware and prepared for this change ahead of the election.”

You must be registered to vote or have applied to register to vote before applying for a Voter Authority Certificate.

Electors or their proxy must bring a suitable form of photographic ID to their polling station. You do not need a photographic ID to vote by post.

The most commonly used forms of accepted ID include:

  • passport issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, a British Overseas Territory, an EEA (European Economic Area) state or a Commonwealth country
  • photographic driving licence issued by the UK, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state (including provisional)
  • European Economic Area photographic ID Card
  • UK Biometric Residence Permit
  • an identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (PASS card)
  • a Blue Badge
  • Oyster 60+ Card
  • a concessionary travel pass funded by HM Government or local authority

Only original documents are accepted; scanned images or copies will not be accepted however expired documents are accepted if the photo is still a current likeness.

 You can still apply without your national insurance number, but your application may take longer to process and you must provide further proof of identity.

We will ask for scans, photographs or document uploads in your name of 3 or 4 of these documents:

  • birth, marriage, civil partnership or adoption certificate
  • firearms certificate (granted under the Firearms Act 1968)
  • bail decision record
  • mortgage or pension statement
  • bank, building society or credit card statement, or account confirmation letter
  • utility bill
  • Council Tax statement or demand
  • current or previous employer’s P45 or P60
  • benefits or entitlement statement, including:
    • Universal Credit
    • Disability Living Allowance
    • Personal Independence Payments
    • any other state benefits

If you do not know your National Insurance number, the quickest and easiest way to find it is:

  • on a document you already have, for example a payslip or P60
  • online through your personal tax account
  • in the HMRC app