Voter Authority Certificate
The Voter Authority Certificate (VAC)[1] is a type of voter identification that can be obtained by an eligible United Kingdom voter if they do not possess alternative forms of photo identification (for example, a passport, a full or provisional driving licence, or other eligible forms of ID).[2]
This service was established with the Elections Act 2022, which requires voter ID in English local, PCC, and UK-wide elections for the first time.[3] The lack of a national ID card in the UK and non-universal adoption of other forms of ID necessitated this service. The requirement is only for in-person voting at polling stations.[citation needed] As the Act only covers English local, PCC, and UK-wide elections, voters in Scottish Parliament, Scottish local, Senedd/Welsh Parliament, and Welsh local elections are not required to present a voter ID.[2]
Ahead of the May 2023 local elections, it was reported that only 10,000 people had applied for the certificate, which was just 0.5% of the 2 million people identified as likely lacking any acceptable photo ID.[4]
References[edit]
- ^ "Applying for a Voter Authority Certificate". Electoral Commission. Retrieved 4 July 2024.
- ^ a b GOV.UK - How to vote
- ^ Morton, Becky (25 April 2023). "Local elections 2023: 4% of voters without voter ID apply through scheme". BBC.
- ^ Walker, Peter; correspondent, Peter Walker Political (31 January 2023). "Only 10,000 people in Great Britain have applied for government-issued voter ID". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 5 May 2024.
External links[edit]
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