The UK Government has introduced new laws around voting and elections.
Photo ID
From the May 2023 election onwards, all voters who wish to vote in a polling station must show a form of photo ID to vote.
Such ID includes passports, driving licences, senior citizen/disabled bus passes, Blue Badges, PASS cards, biometric ID cards, Defence ID cards and EU national ID cards.
Voters who do not have any of these forms of ID, can apply for a free Voter Authentication Certificate (VAC) through this website: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
You can find out more here - https://www.bury.gov.uk/council-and-democracy/elections-and-voting/voter-id
Accessibility
From the May 2023 election onwards, all polling stations will have additional equipment and materials to assist disabled voters, and those voters where English is not their first language, to vote.
These changes help make elections more accessible for everyone. We have worked hard for many years to support all electors to vote at polling stations.
Disabled voters will also be able to choose anyone over 18 to accompany them in the polling station to help them vote.
Postal voting
From November 2023, you will be able to apply for a postal vote online for local, GM mayoral and UK Parliamentary elections. When applying for a postal vote online or by paper, you will be required to provide a National Insurance number to enable your identity to be checked.
Proxy voting
From November 2023, there will be a limit to how many people a voter can be a proxy for (vote on their behalf in a polling station) at an election. Voters will be able to act as a proxy for up to two people. Proxy voters for those living abroad could act for up to four people (for two people living in the UK and for two people living abroad).
Overseas voters
From January 2024, there will no longer be a time limit on British voters living abroad for voting in a UK Parliamentary election. You must register in the last constituency that you lived in. Voters living abroad can also donate to political parties and campaigners.
GM Mayoral election
In the May 2024 GM Mayoral election, voting will be under the ‘first past the post’ system. You will vote only for the one candidate you prefer. The candidate with the most votes will be elected.
EU citizen voters
From May 2024, some EU citizens may not be able to vote or stand as a candidate in local elections. This does not affect EU citizens who were living in the UK before the EU Withdrawal Implementation Period (up until 1 January 2021), who can vote or stand as a candidate in local elections. The Elections Team will contact you in 2024 to explain these changes to you.
The Electoral Commission has more information on each of these changes n their website - https://www. electoralcommission.org.uk/who-we-are-and-what-we-do/our-views-and-research/elections-act