Anyone who doesn’t have an accepted form of ID, or who is worried about taking important documents such as a passport to the polling station, can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. These can be presented at the polling station on election day instead of a photo ID. 

Voters can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online, or by filling out a paper application form to be submitted to the Council. The physical application forms can be requested from the Council’s Electoral Services department by post, or picked up from Worthing Town Hall. 

The Council will also be operating an ‘in person’ service for those who want to apply, where residents can go to fill in the form and at the same time have their photo taken for the application. 

Residents must already be registered to vote to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, and the deadline to submit an application in time for the 4 May local elections is Tuesday 25 April before 5pm.

To apply online, visit: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate. 

For more information about the new legislation, and to see a complete list of accepted forms of ID, visit:https://www.adur-worthing.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/photographic-voter-id/.