Don’t forget your photo ID to vote in the Police and Crime Commissioner election

Residents in Cornwall will need to show photo ID to vote in the Devon and Cornwall Police and Crime Commissioner election.

All voters must show valid photo ID when they arrive at their polling station on May 2.

Accepted forms of ID include:

Passport
Driving licence
Government issued older or disabled person’s bus pass
Blue Badge
Defence Identity Card
Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)

The full list of accepted ID is available on the Electoral Commission’s website.

You can still use your photo ID if it's out of date, as long as it looks like you. The name on your ID should be the same name you used to register to vote.

Sign saying polling station on a metal fence — *Polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm*

Residents who are registered to vote but do not have one of the accepted forms of ID can apply for free ID either on the gov.uk website or by completing a paper application form and sending it to Cornwall Council’s electoral services team.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on April 24.

If you need any help with applying for the free ID or want to request an application form, contact the electoral services team on 01872 324196 or email voter-registration@cornwall.gov.uk.

Kate Kennally, Returning Officer and Chief Executive at Cornwall Council, said: “With the Police and Crime Commissioner election taking place on May 2, it is important that those who want to vote make sure they have an accepted form of ID.

“It may seem early but checking now means you will be ready to vote in May.”

The requirement to show photo ID at the polling station was introduced by the UK Government’s Elections Act and came into effect for the first time in May 2023.

About the Police and Crime Commissioner election

Each police area has a Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) and elections for the office are held every four years.

Police and Crime Commissioners are elected to make sure the local force is meeting the needs of the community. They are responsible for:

How the area is policed
Setting the police budget and making sure it is spent effectively
The amount of Council Tax charged for the police
The information you get about what local police are doing
Appointing the Chief Constable
Engaging with the public and victims of crime to help set police and crime plans and organising projects within the community
Working closely with local councils and other community organisations on these plans and projects

Three candidates have been nominated for the election on May 2. Statements by the three candidates nominated have been published on the choosemypcc.org.uk website.

Press release issued on April 18, 2024

Last Updated:

18/04/2024