Do I need ID to vote in the elections in Scotland, Wales or England?

Voters across the UK are heading to local polling stations to take part in elections for thousands of seats in the Welsh and Scottish parliaments, as well as English councils.

Since May 2023, voters have been required to bring photo ID for certain elections. This came after parliament passed the Electoral Act in April 2022, giving effect to a recommendation first made by the Electoral Commission in 2014.

Voter ID is now required at by-elections and recall petitions in England, general elections, local elections and referendums, and Police and Crime Commissioner elections in England and Wales.

But the new rules do not apply to Holyrood elections in Scotland or Senedd elections in Wales, where voters are not required to bring ID with them.

Here’s everything you need to know about voter ID in the 2026 local elections:

What ID do I need to vote?

There are many different types of ID that will be accepted at the polling station. Must have a photo ID; This means, for example, that a bank card is not valid.

Accepted forms of identification include:

Voters may use an outdated photo ID as long as it looks like their own. Complete list of accepted forms of identification Found on the Election Commission website.

If you do not have a voter ID

Anyone with an accepted photo ID can apply for a Voter Credential. Applying is free and will be accepted at all polling stations.

You can apply for a Voter Authorization Certificate from the Election Commission’s website. It’s free and doesn’t expire, but people are encouraged to re-apply every 10 years to ensure their IDs remain similar.

It is now too late to apply for one of these certificates for the May 7 local elections. The deadline was April 28.

What are the issues with voter ID?

The government has attempted to pass new voter ID laws to crack down on election fraud, particularly “impersonation.” It is a criminal offense for a person to vote in an election by pretending to be someone they are not.

Writing after the laws were passed, then leveling-up minister Kemi Badenoch said the new law “means we can stamp out electoral fraud and make elections more inclusive, ensuring everyone who has the right to vote continues to have the opportunity to do so.”

But critics of voter ID rules have pointed out that cases of election fraud are rare in the UK and impersonation is even more so. The latest data from the Electoral Commission shows that only 11 of 1,386 cases of alleged election fraud between 2018 and 2022 resulted in a conviction.

There are also concerns that voter ID laws could disproportionately impact marginalized communities’ ability to vote.

Government-commissioned research in 2021 found that people with limited disabilities, the unemployed, unskilled people and those who have never voted before were the least likely to have a valid photo ID.

Further research presented to the House of Commons found the changes could lead to 1.1 million fewer people voting at the next general election.

“With no justification for this threat to the right to vote, it feels like an opportunistic attack on the rights of some of the most marginalized people in society,” a spokesperson for the human rights advocacy group Liberty said in 2021.

“A classic example of governing through division and mistrust.”

The government’s choice to accept local photo travel ID forms for seniors has also come under scrutiny. Neither 16-25 nor 26-30 rail cards are accepted.