District and parish elections will take place on Thursday 4 May 2023 – and residents are being reminded that in order to vote at a polling station, you will need to bring photo ID with you, under new requirements introduced by Central Government.
If you want to vote at a polling station on 4 May, as well as being registered to vote, you will need to show an approved form of photo ID before you can be issued with a ballot paper. Acceptable forms of photo ID include a driver’s licence, passport, older person’s and disabled person’s bus pass, or a Blue Badge. For a full list of acceptable forms of photo ID, please see our voter ID page.
If you don’t have photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate (VAC). You can apply online on the GOV.UK website for a VAC. You will need to provide your name, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number, and a photo. You must also be on the electoral register. The deadline to apply is 5pm on 25 April.
You can also apply for a free VAC via a paper form and in person at the council. For more information, please see the DDC website.
You will not need photo ID for postal voting. For more information on postal voting, please see here. If you cast a proxy vote on behalf of someone else at the polling station, you will need to have photo ID. For more details, please see here.
Look out for more information from our new community bus, which will be providing help and advice on voter ID at locations around the district:
- Sandwich Guildhall car park – 13 & 20 April, 09:30–12.30
- Eastry Court car park, Aylesham – 13 & 20 April, 13:30–16:30
- Sainsbury’s car park, Deal – 14 & 21 April, 09:30-12:00
- St James Retail and Leisure Park, Dover – 14 & 21 April, 13:00-15:00
- Tesco’s car park, Whitfield – 14 & 21 April, 16:00-19:00.
Nadeem Aziz, Returning Officer at Dover District Council said: “From May 2023, individuals who wish to vote in person will be required to produce an accepted form of photographic ID to prove their identity before they will be issued with a ballot paper. These are important local elections, and we want to ensure that everyone can have their say. Your vote is your voice, make sure you are heard.”
For more details on voter ID, please see the
Electoral Commission pages, or see the DDC voter id pages at
www.dover.gov.uk/voter-id
Posted on 08 February 2023