What do I bring to vote? Everything you need in the polling booth | Politics News
After six long weeks of General Election campaigning, it’s finally time to get out and vote.
Now we’ve come so far, you really don’t want to mess things up at the last moment.
Voting is really simple, but you will still need to remember some things when you’re heading to your local polling station.
Especially if you’re tight for time, it’s vital you have everything sorted before you go.
What time are polling stations open and when do they close?
Polling stations opened at 7am and will remain open until 10pm tonight – July 4.
What do I need to bring with me to vote?
If you’ve registered to vote, you should have received a polling card through the door at some point in recent weeks.
The card will tell you where you should go to fill out your ballot – but you do not need to take your polling card to vote.
Once you arrive at the station (at some point between 7am and 10pm), staff might ask your name and address.
Until 2022, this was all they needed. But since the Elections Act passed that year, you must also bring a valid form of photo ID.
That may be a passport, a driving licence (as long as it was issued by the UK, any of the Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, or an EEA state), a Blue Badge, or any other form of ID listed by the Electoral Commission on its website.
People may also use a Voter Authority Certificate, a document introduced specifically for people who do not have another form of official ID.
The deadline to apply for the certificate was June 26.
Those in Northern Ireland can’t use a Voter Authority Certificate – instead, a separate option called an Electoral Identity Card can be used. It has the same purpose as the certificate in providing ID for those without another valid form.
If all goes to plan, the staff at the polling station will cross your name off their list, and you can go ahead to place your vote.