Thank you for contacting me about identification for voting at polling stations. A secure electoral system is vital to a healthy democracy and the public must have confidence that our elections are secure and fit for the 21st century. Asking voters to bring photographic identification to their polling station is an important way of achieving this and stopping voter fraud. In Northern Ireland voters have been required to produce personal identification before voting in polling stations since 1985, with photographic identification introduced in 2003 by the last Labour Government. Ministers at the time noted that “the Government have no intention of taking away people’s democratic right to vote. If we believed that thousands of voters would not be able to vote because of this measure, we would not be introducing it at this time.”
A wide range of photographic identification documents will be accepted at the polling station. The Voter Authority Certification was created so that anyone without identification an apply for a free new one from their local authority. You can apply for a Voter Authority Certification to use in future elections and referendums, using the following link: https:///www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate