Residents in the Brentwood 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 by Tuesday 18 June. It only takes five minutes to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
For the first time, voters will need to show photographic ID to vote in a UK parliamentary general election. Residents are being advised to make sure they are ready to vote by checking 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 ID online at www.voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/ or by completing a paper form. The deadline for applying ahead of the general election is 5pm Wednesday 26 June. 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.”
Jonathan Stephenson, Acting Returning Officer and Chief Executive at Brentwood Borough Council, added:
“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 Brentwood’s electoral services team. If you need any help with applying for the free ID or want to request an application form, contact the electoral services team by email at elections@brentwood.gov.uk."
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 ID, 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 5pm Wednesday 19 June. The deadline for a proxy vote is 5pm Wednesday 26 June. For information on elections in their area, how to register to vote or how to apply by post or by proxy, voters can visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter