Voters urged to prepare for upcoming general election
Posted on: 7 June 2024
Residents in Tewkesbury Borough are being urged to prepare ahead of the UK parliamentary general election taking place on Thursday, 4 July.
Anyone who wants to have their say in the general election must be registered to vote. If they are not already registered, it only takes five minutes to register online at gov.uk/register-to-vote. The deadline to register is Tuesday, 18 June.
Voters will need to show photographic ID if they vote in person at a polling station. Residents are encouraged to check they have an accepted form of ID.
Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Voters will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.
Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free Voter Authority Certificate online at voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk or by completing a paper form. The deadline for applying ahead of the general election is Wednesday, 26 June at 5pm. Voters wishing to apply should first make sure they are registered to vote.
Craig Westwood, Director of Communications, Policy and Research at the Electoral Commission, said: “It is important that those who want to vote at the general election are registered to vote by the deadline, and have an accepted form of photo ID. We are urging voters to understand what types of ID they can use, and how to apply for free ID if they need it. Checking now rather than later means you will be ready when it’s time to vote.
“You can find more information about the ID requirement and what to expect at the polling station on the Electoral Commission’s website.”
Alistair Cunningham, Acting Returning Officer for the Tewkesbury Constituency, said: “Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either online or by completing a paper application form and sending this to our elections team.’’
Anyone who needs help with applying for the free Voter Authority Certificate or wants to request an application form should contact the council’s elections team on elections@tewkesbury.gov.uk or call 01684 272025.
The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the requirement and details of how to apply for the free Voter Authority Certificate, at electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID.
Voters also have the choice to vote by post or proxy. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is Wednesday, 19 June at 5pm. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is Wednesday, 26 June at 5pm. However, if a voter appoints a proxy, and the proxy then wishes to vote by post, both applications must be received by the Wednesday, 19 June deadline.
For information on elections in their area, how to register to vote or how to apply to vote by post or by proxy, voters can visit electoralcommission.org.uk/voter.
