Voting and registering to vote

Review of polling districts and polling places

All councils must complete a review of election polling districts and polling places by 31 January 2025. We're inviting all electors – especially those with a disability – to have their say on proposals for changes. We're also inviting electors to comment on how easy it is to vote at current polling stations and give ideas for new locations.

To read the proposals and have your say, go to Review of polling districts and polling places. The closing date is 12 November 2023.

Use of voter ID at elections

Voter identification (ID) was used for the first time at council elections held on 4 May 2023.

By law, anyone eligible to vote (an 'elector') has to show an approved type of photo ID or a 'Voter Authority Certificate' if they wished to vote at a polling station.

For full information on voter ID, go to GOV.UK: how to vote – photo ID you'll need.

Council elections, 4 May 2023

The tables below give a summary of information we can publish about voter ID at council elections on 4 May 2023.

Elector information Total
Electors eligible to vote in person at polling stations 88,864
Electors who attended a polling station 18,054
Electors who requested a ballot paper at a polling station but were initially refused because they did not have voter ID 139
Electors who were initially refused a ballot paper at a polling station because they did not have voter ID, but who later returned with voter ID and were issued with a ballot paper 88
Electors who requested a ballot paper at a polling station but were refused because they did not have voter ID, and who had not been issued with a ballot paper by the time the poll closed 51
Electors issued with a ballot paper at polling stations 18,003

This information is shown in percentages below.

Elector information Percentage
Electors who attended the polling station, as a proportion of the total eligible to vote (18,054 out of 88,864) 20.3%
Electors who attended the polling station and were issued with a ballot paper (18,003 out of 18,054) 99.7%
Electors who requested a ballot paper at a polling station but were initially refused because they did not have voter ID (139 out of 18,054) 0.8%
Electors who requested a ballot paper at a polling station but were refused because they did not have voter ID, and who had not been issued with a ballot paper by the time the poll closed (51 out of 18,054) 0.3%
Of the electors who were initially refused a ballot paper at a polling station because they did not have voter ID, those who later returned with voter ID and were issued with a ballot paper (88 out of 139) 63.3%