Residents encouraged to check that they are ‘vote ready’ for upcoming election

Changes to the way residents in Bridgend County Borough can vote in person at polling stations and by postal and proxy voting will apply to the Police and Crime Commissioner election, which will be held on Thursday 2 May.

Voters in Bridgend County Borough will now need to show photographic ID at polling stations, and are being urged to make sure they are ready to vote, by checking they have an acceptable form of photographic ID, which include:

• UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport
• UK Drivers Licence
• Concessionary travel passes such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card.

Residents will be able to use expired ID if they are still recognisable from the photo.

The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station was introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act and came into effect for the first time in May 2023, and will apply to UK Parliament elections, including by-elections and recall petitions, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. It is not a requirement at local or Senedd elections.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID will be able to apply for free ID online at www.voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/ or by completing a paper form.

The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the new requirement and details of how to apply for the free ID, at electoralcommission.org.uk/voterID.

Jackie Killeen, Director of Electoral Administration and Guidance, said: “Anyone voting at a polling station will need to show photo ID before they can be given their ballot paper. It’s important that everyone understands what types of ID they can use, and how to apply for free

ID if they need it. You can find information about the new requirement and what to expect at the polling station, on the Electoral Commission’s website.”

With elections taking place in Bridgend County Borough on 2 May 2024, it is important that those who want to vote make sure they have an accepted form of ID.

It may seem early but checking now means you will be ready to vote in May.

Residents who do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either online or by completing a paper application form and sending this to the council’s electoral services team. If you need any help with applying for the free ID or want to request an application form, contact the electoral services team on 01656 643116.

Chief Executive, Mark Shephard, Returning Officer

Residents who are not able to get to the polling station on polling day, can still vote by post or ask someone they trust to cast their vote for them, which is called a proxy vote, however residents are advised that the following changes will apply:

• A requirement for voters to reapply for a postal vote after three years.
• Applications are now available online to vote by post and for some types of proxy vote. Applicants will be asked to provide their National Insurance number when applying, to prove their identity.
• There are limits to how many people a voter can act as a proxy for. This means you can only act as a proxy for two people living in the UK. If you act as a proxy for people living overseas, you can act as proxy for up to four people but only two of these can be based in the UK.
• A limit to the number of postal votes that can be handed in and restrictions on who the individual handing the postal votes can be.

The changes will apply to UK Parliament elections, including by-elections and recall petitions, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. They do not apply to Senedd and local council elections in Wales. For these elections you will still need to complete a paper application form.

Voters can still apply for a postal and proxy vote by completing an application form and sending this to their local Electoral Registration Office.

Further information on the changes, and online application forms for postal and proxy voting are available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

Anyone who wants to have their say in the election this May must also be registered to vote. It only takes five minutes to register online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Voters wishing to apply to their council for free ID should first make sure they are registered to vote.