Elections Act
The Elections Act 2022 was granted Royal Assent and passed into law on 28 April 2022. This will bring significant changes to the way elections are run.
One of the most significant changes is that you will need to show photographic identification when you attend a polling station to cast your vote.
The act introduces further changes that will impact registered voters. Not all the changes have been announced, so the following is a summary of the changes to come, and we will update the relevant pages once we know more.
Photo ID at the polling station
All registered voters will be required to show an official form of photo ID when attending a polling station to vote in:
- local elections in England
- local referendums in England
- UK Parliamentary by-elections and recall petitions
- Greater London Authority elections
- UK Parliamentary general elections (from 5 October 2023)
Find out more information about Voter ID.
EU Citizens voting and candidacy rights
Changes you will see
EU citizens will no longer automatically be entitled to register, vote or stand for election.
Two groups of EU citizens will retain their voting and candidacy rights:
- Qualifying EU Citizens – EU Citizens from countries with reciprocal agreements who have ‘leave to remain’ in the UK or who do not need ‘leave to remain’ in the UK will still be able to vote and stand in elections. These are currently Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain.
- EU Citizens with Retained Rights – EU Citizens who were living with a lawful immigration status in the UK before 31 December 2020 (the date when the UK left the EU), will also still be able to vote and stand in elections. These are currently Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Netherlands, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia and Sweden.
These changes will apply to:
- all local elections and referendums in England
- Mayor of London and London Assembly elections
These changes came into force on 7 May 2024.
When registering to vote, whether online, via post or over the phone, if you're an EU Citizen not from a qualifying country, you will be asked a ‘historical residency question’ to determine whether you have retained rights.
Those EU Citizens already on the electoral register prior to 7 May 2024 will have their eligibility reviewed as part of a one-time Eligibility Confirmation Review. This will be undertaken after May 2024 and will attempt to confirm whether EU Citizens on the electoral register have qualified or retained rights. This review may involve corresponding with EU Citizens via post, email, telephone and in-person visits.
The ECR will run until 31 January 2025 by which EU Citizens already on the register will have had their eligibility reviewed and the outcome communicated to them.
Between Thursday 10 October 2024 and Wednesday 30 October 2024, canvassers from Electoral Services will be attempting to contact electors who have not yet responded to the ECR by telephone or a visit to their registered address.
Electors who have not responded to the ECR by Wednesday 6 November 2024 may be removed from the electoral register as we cannot be satisfied that they meet the new eligibility criteria.
The changes will not affect citizens of the Republic of Ireland or citizens of Commonwealth nations.
For more information, visit The Electoral Commission - Changes for EU citizens in some UK elections.
Changes to postal and proxy voting
Find out more about voting.
Changes you will see
You'll have the option to apply for a postal or proxy vote online via GOV.UK. This is expected to go live on 31 October 2023. A paper application will still be available on request.
All applications, both online and paper, will require an identity check as part of the application process. Applicants will be asked for their National Insurance Number. There will also be an exception and attestation process.
Postal voting
Postal voter arrangements will be limited to a maximum of 3 years, following which the registered voter will need to reapply.
All existing postal voters will need to reapply to move onto the new 3 yearly cycle before 31 January 2026.
Political parties and campaigners will be banned from handling postal vote packs.
There will be a limit on the number of postal vote packs that a person can hand in at a polling station.
Proxy votes
You will only be able to act as a proxy for up to 2 people living in the UK (or a maximum of 4 people, with 2 people living in the UK and 2 people registered as living overseas).
When these changes come into force:
- Online absent voting applications is expected from 31 October 2023
- The rules of secrecy and who can handle postal votes is expected from May 2024
Accessibility at polling stations
Changes you will see
Extra support will be provided to voters with disabilities when voting in person at a polling station.
A disabled voter can be accompanied by anyone over the age of 18 at a polling station.
Find out about accessibility at polling stations.
Extended voting rights for British citizens living overseas
Changes you will see
The 15-year limit on voting for British citizens living abroad will be removed. Any British citizens who were previously registered to vote in the UK or who previously lived in the UK will be able to register as an overseas elector.
British citizens living abroad will be required to re-register every 3 years.
These changes are expected to come into force by May 2024.