Gloucester voters urged to prepare for upcoming general election

Published
Residents in Gloucester are being urged to prepare ahead of the UK parliamentary general election taking place on Thursday, July 4.

Anyone who wants to have their say in the general election must be registered to vote by next Tuesday (June 18). Registering only takes five minutes and can be done online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

For the first time, voters in Gloucester will need to show photographic ID to vote in a general election and are being advised to make sure they’re ready by checking they have an accepted form of ID.

Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK, EEA or Commonwealth drivers’ licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass. Voters can use expired ID if they’re recognisable from the photo.

Anyone who does not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate at www.voter-authority-certificate.service.gov.uk/ or by completing a paper form. The deadline for applying is 5pm on Wednesday, June 26. Anyone wanting to apply should first make sure they’re registered to vote.

Jon McGinty, Returning Officer at Gloucester City Council, said: “Residents who don’t 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 our 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 01452 396203 or email elections@gloucester.gov.uk.

The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website, along with more information about the requirement and details of how to apply for the free ID, at https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id

Voters also have the choice to vote by post or proxy. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm, Wednesday, June 19. The deadline for a proxy vote is 5pm on Wednesday, June 26. For information on how to register to vote or how to apply by post or by proxy, voters can visit www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voter.