Home >
If you’re voting in person in the UK General Election on July 4th 2024, you’ll need to show photo ID that looks like you, and which is in the name that you used to register to vote.
Even though you don’t normally need to show photo ID for Scottish elections, you will need to on July 4th. This is because new laws have changed how voting works in England and Wales, and for General Elections across the UK.
Trans and non-binary people can sometimes run into problems when registering to vote that can take some time to resolve, particularly if it is your first time registering since changing your name.
If you want to be able to vote in the next UK general election, it’s best to register to vote soon as you can.
To make sure you can vote in person in the next UK General Election, there’s two key things you need to do:
Below, we’ve provided a guide to help you with both of these, with special consideration for how they may be a bit more complicated if you are currently in the process of changing your name or have done so recently.
Registering to vote online takes about 5-10 minutes and requires your National Insurance number. You can do it here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
The deadline for registering to vote for the next UK General Election is Tuesday 18th June. It’s best to register as soon as possible if you want to vote in case you encounter any problems.
You do not need any current or in-date form of ID in order to register to vote. This same link can be used to change the name and address you have previously used to register to vote if you are already registered.
When registering to vote, you will need to answer questions about: your nationality, date of birth, full name, if you’ve ever changed your name, your National Insurance Number, where you currently live, your postcode, if you have a second address, if you’ve moved in the last 12 months, if you want to be on the open register, and how best to contact you.
As this General Election has been called with very short notice, many trans people who are in the process of changing their name may feel like they are in a bit of an awkward position if they cannot obtain new photo ID in time for the vote on July 4th, or change their name associated with their National Insurance number before the deadline for registering to vote on June 18th.
While you may encounter some difficulties registering to vote if you are in the process of changing your name or if you have previously changed your name, you can still register to vote even if you are listed under different names in different places.
The most important thing is to register in the name currently associated with your National Insurance number, as this is the primary way that your identity is checked.
If this is your first time registering to vote or updating your details since changing your name, there can sometimes be difficulties verifying your details. This is because HMRC automatically marks trans people’s records as sensitive when they change their name with them. When they do this, it makes your National Insurance number harder to find for other agencies. This is why we recommend registering as soon as you can, so if there are any delays you don’t miss the deadline if you want to vote.
If your Local Electoral Office is confused about why they can’t find your details, you may need to explain to them that it is likely because your record is marked as sensitive. They might ask for other ways to verify your identity, like providing them with name change documents or other forms of ID.
If you are currently in the process of changing your name, it may be best to register under your previous name if this is the name that is on your ID and associated with your National Insurance number, as you may not have enough time before the deadline to register to vote on 18th June to obtain new ID or change the name associated with National Insurance number.
If there is a difference between the name you used to register to vote and the photo ID you intend to use to vote on the day, make sure you bring a proof of name change (such as your statutory declaration of name change or deed poll) with you when you vote. It may also be useful to bring other documents to prove your identity and that you live at the address where you registered to vote.
When registering, there is also a question which asks if you’ve ever changed your name, with the options to say “yes”, “no”, or “prefer not to say”. While the choice is up to you, it is best to select “yes” if you have changed your name since the last time you were registered to vote to help your application go as smoothly as possible.
For more information on what ID you can use, see the section on ID below.
To vote in UK general elections, you need to be registered to vote, aged 18 or over, to be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, and to be resident at an address in the UK or living abroad and registered as an overseas voter.
You can use the Electoral Commission’s online questionnaire to see if you are eligible to vote: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/who-can-vote/register-vote or check the UK Government’s page on eligibility criteria for different elections here: https://www.gov.uk/elections-in-the-uk?step-by-step-nav=ff81c31c-3282-49df-85a4-013887130110
Once you’ve registered to vote, you can also apply to vote via post if you would prefer. Registering requires your National Insurance number and a few other details, including a photo of your signature.
Registering for a postal vote might be a good option for you if you might struggle for any reason to attend a polling station in person on the day of the UK General Election, or if you’re feel anxious about having to provide photo ID to vote.
For the forthcoming UK General Election, you can apply for a postal vote online here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
The deadline for applying for a postal vote for this General Election is 5pm Wednesday 19th June.
For more information on postal votes, see the Electoral Commission’s website here https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/voter/apply-vote-post.
You can also vote via proxy if you trust someone else to vote on your behalf, and you can find more information on this here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/ways-vote/apply-vote-proxy.
The deadline for applying for a proxy vote is 5pm Wednesday 26th June.
If you are unable to fill out the online form, you can apply for a paper form here: https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/register-to-vote-paper-forms
If you’re unsure if you’re already registered to vote, you can use this website to find the details of your local Electoral Registration Office and get in touch with them: https://www.gov.uk/contact-electoral-registration-office
For more information and guidance on registering to vote see the Electoral Commission’s website here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/who-can-vote/register-vote and the UK Government’s website here: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
When you go to a polling station to cast your vote in the next UK General Election on July 4th, you will need to show photo ID in the name you have used to register to vote with a picture that looks like you.
You can still use photo ID which is out of date or expired as long as the picture still looks like you. You can ask to show your ID to a polling station volunteer privately if you would prefer to.
If the name on your photo ID is different to the one you are registered under, you can take a document with you to vote that proves that you have changed your name. For example, if you are registered to vote under your birth name, but all of your photo ID is in your chosen name, you can bring along your deed poll or statutory declaration of name change.
Polling station staff should be able to handle this sensitively, but it may still require a conversation about why names differ between documents, so if you would feel uncomfortable having this conversation then it’s best to use ID that matches the name you registered under, or to apply for a postal vote.
If you do not have any photo ID which looks like you, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. See the section on Voter Authority Certificates below for more information.
There are several different forms of photo ID you can use to prove your identity if you vote in person on July 4th. The ID does not have to be in date as long as the photo still looks like you.
Accepted forms of photo ID include:
For a full list and more information, see: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id
If you don’t have any accepted forms of photo ID, the name on your ID does not match the name you registered to vote with, if you no longer look like the photo on your ID, or you would prefer not to use your other forms of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. This can only be used as ID for UK elections, but does not have a gender marker.
In order to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, you need to be registered to vote. You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate online here: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate or by post.
The deadline for applying for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm Wednesday 26th June.
Applications require that you provide your name, address, date of birth, and National Insurance number, as well as a recent picture of yourself. The name you use will need to be the same name you used when you registered to vote.
You can still apply if you don’t have a national insurance number by providing other documents that prove your identity, such as your birth certificate, utility bills, or bank statements, or by having someone who knows you confirm your identity.
More information can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website here: https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/applying-a-voter-authority-certificate
30 Bernard Street Edinburgh EH6 6PR
+44 (0)131 467 6039 info@scottishtrans.org
Scottish Trans is part of the Equality Network
Scottish Trans is the Equality Network project to improve gender identity and gender reassignment equality, rights and inclusion in Scotland. The Equality Network is a leading Scottish lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) equality and human rights charity.
The Equality Network is a registered Scottish charity: SC037852, and a company limited by guarantee: SC220213.
We are grateful for funding from the Scottish Government
