The UK government is making changes to elections and the way you vote. Some of these changes came in to force on 4 May 2023 and others will be implemented over 2023/24. These changes include the requirement to show ID at polling stations; changes to postal and proxy voting; improving the accessibility of elections; the rights to vote and stand in elections for EU Citizens and changes to overseas voting.
What does this mean for you?
Rights of EU citizens
EU citizens are no longer automatically entitled to register, vote or stand for elections which use the local government election franchise. These changes were implemented on 7 May 2024.
There are two types of EU Citizens that will retain their voting and candidacy rights:
- 'Qualifying EU citizens' - citizens of EU countries which the UK has bilateral Voting and Candidacy Rights (VCR) treaty with currently (as of May 2024) are:
- Luxembourg
- Poland
- Portugal
- Spain
- Denmark.
- 'EU citizens with retained rights' - EU citizens from any other EU country who have been legally resident in the UK since before the UK left the EU on 31/12/2020.
Following the changes to EU citizens registration entitlement, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) is required to conduct an Eligibility Confirmation Review (ECR) to review all EU citizens on the electoral register by the 31 January 2025.
The purpose of the ECR is to;
- Identify individuals who are eligible to remain registered to vote
- Identify those who are not eligible to remain registered and remove them from the register.
Following the outcome of our review, we will formally confirm to individuals whether they can remain registered, or if they must be removed from the electoral register.
The ECR process will consist of the data-based review and the correspondence-based review.
The Data-Based Review
The first stage in the ECR process is for the ERO to conduct a data-based review of all EU citizens on the Electoral Register.
The data-based review involves both an automatic and manual data matching process of individuals via the use of any data which the ERO may hold or have access to for the purpose of their registration duties.
This data will enable us to identify qualifying EU citizens and EU citizens with retained rights without taking any further action other than to write to the individual to confirm they are being retained on the register.
If we are unable to establish eligibility for all individuals through the data-based review, we will then proceed to a correspondence-based review.
The Correspondence-Based Review
The only individuals who will enter the correspondence-based review are those who are citizens of a country where a bilateral Voting and Candidacy Rights (VCR) treaty hasn’t been reached with the UK Government and we could not determine their eligibility to remain registered through the data-based review. These countries are:
|
Countries |
|
|---|---|
|
Austria |
Hungary |
|
Belgium |
Italy |
|
Bulgaria |
Latvia |
|
Croatia |
Lithuania |
|
Czech Republic |
The Netherlands |
|
Estonia |
Romania |
|
Finland |
Slovakia |
|
France |
Slovenia |
|
Germany |
Sweden |
|
Greece |
|
We will be contacting such individuals directly to request that they respond to a historical residency question, to determine if they are entitled to remain registered under the new criteria for EU voters.
Visit the Electoral Commissions website for more information on changes for EU Citizens.
Photographic Voter ID
- If you vote at a polling station, you are now required to show an accepted form of photographic identification before you receive your ballot paper.
- There are no exceptions to this requirement and includes those who are registered as anonymous electors.
- If you are a Proxy, you will need to show your photographic ID. You will not be required to show ID for the person you are acting as a proxy for.
- You will need to show just one of the accepted forms of photo ID. If you don't have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate.
View accepted forms of photo ID
Apply for Voter Authority Certificate
- Please note: If you vote by post, you do not require Voter ID because your identification is verified by your signature and date of birth.
Visit the Electoral Commissions website for more information on Voter ID.
Polling station accessibility
- If you have a disability, anyone over the age of 18 will be able to accompany you at your local polling station, and you will be provided additional support.
Absent Voting (Voting by post or proxy)
- An online system will launch on 31 October 2023 which lets you apply for an absent vote online.
- If you're applying for an absent vote, you'll need to provide proof of your identity.
- The existing secrecy requirements will be extended to postal and proxy votes.
- If you vote by post, you must make a new application every 3 years. Currently, you must refresh your signature every 5 years.
- Political parties and campaigners will be banned from handling postal votes.
- If you're handing in postal votes at a polling station, you will only be allowed to hand in a maximum of 6.
- You will only be able to act as a proxy for up to 4 people.
Visit the Electoral Commissions website for more information on changes to postal voting.
Visit the Electoral Commissions website for more information on changes to proxy voting.
Overseas Voting
- The 15-year limit on voting for British citizens living abroad will end. If you are a British citizen previously registered to vote in the UK, or who has previously lived in the UK, you will be able to register to vote, regardless of how long you have lived abroad.
- If you are a British citizen living abroad, you will no longer have to register as an overseas voter every year. Instead, you will have to register every 3 years.
Visit the Electoral Commissions website for more information on changes to overseas voting.
Preventing undue influence and intimidation
- A new disqualification order will be introduced, providing that anyone who has been convicted of an existing criminal offence of an intimidatory nature will be disqualified from standing for election, being elected to, or holding a relevant elected office for a period of five years.
Visit the Electoral Commissions website for more information on changes to prevent undue influence and intimidation.
Digital imprints
- Campaigners will be required to include imprints on their digital political campaign material.
Last updated: 30/07/2024 12:57
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