We are concerned that a photo ID requirement has now been added for people to be allowed to vote in local and general elections but not all students will have the relevant forms of ID.
We are concerned that a photo ID requirement has now been added for people to be allowed to vote in local and general elections, but hasn't been widely advertised. The next local elections are scheduled for 4 May in England and 18 May for Northern Ireland.
University student ID cards do not appear on the list of acceptable photo ID.
Driving Licences, Passports and Proof of Age (PASS card) are the only things on the list that students are likely to hold, but not all students have one or both of those.
If you do not already have one of the acceptable forms of photo ID, you can obtain a Voter Authority Certificate (VAC) but the deadline to apply is 5pm on 25 April. Follow the link to apply now and make sure you recieve your ID in time to maximise your vote.
Find a full list of acceptable ID here.
London is not included in the elections on 4 May but you can find a full list and more information about which councils are taking part here. If you are studying in London but registered to vote at home or another location you can:
- Register for a postal vote. The deadline to send off your form is 11 days before the vote takes place.
- Ask someone to vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote. Apply at least 6 days before the vote takes place.
Find out more about elections and if you are legible to vote on the official government website.
-----
The NUS have teamed up with Citizen Card to offer FREE voter ID that can be used in next month's Local Elections.
Use code 'NUS' at checkout when buying a Citizen Card or just use this link -> https://www.citizencard.com/?m=nus