The electoral system

Voter ID

All voters will have to show an approved form of photo identification before voting in a polling station. Below you will find a list of forms of ID that will be accepted. If you don’t already own an acceptable form of ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

ID that will be accepted:

• passport
• driving licence
• immigration document
• PASS card
• Freedom Pass and older persons' travel card

The ID can be out of date (for example, an expired passport is OK).

The photo needs to bear a likeness to the voter.

ID that will not be accepted:

• work and student passes
• photocopies or pictures on mobile phones – only original documents can be accepted

The Voter Authority Certificate (VAC)

If you do not have an acceptable form of ID you can apply for a free photo ID to vote, called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate'. Apply for the Voter Authority Certificate online.

Voter ID in polling stations

There will be private areas in polling stations for voters who need it (i.e. if you wear a face veil and don’t want to remove it in front of everyone in the room).

The Presiding Officer for the polling station must refuse to issue a voter with a ballot paper if they have reasonable doubt the ID does not look like the elector or suspect the documents are forged. Please make sure you have an up to date photo on your ID, and the name on your ID matches that on the electoral register. 

More information on Voter ID

Get the latest information on Voter ID from the Electoral Commission website.

EU Citizens’ Voting and Candidacy rights

In May 2024 Parliament made some changes to the voting and candidacy rights of EU citizens living in the UK. As a result, some EU citizens will not be able to register to vote, or stand as candidates, in UK elections.

Two groups of EU citizens will retain their rights: 

• EU citizens who were resident in the UK before 1 January 2021 
• people that moved here after 1 January 2021, EU citizens from countries with reciprocal agreements, and who have leave (or do not require it) to remain in the UK - currently Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain

This does not affect voters from Ireland, Malta or Cyprus.

In late 2024 Lewisham council completed a formal review of all EU citizens on the register. This involved writing to all people on the electoral register with an EU nationality and providing information on the new requirements. As a result the vast majority of EU residents were able to remain registered to vote. New applications to register to vote now include an additional declaration for people with an EU nationality and no further reviews are required. 

Figure for a local petition

Local government petitions need the signatures of 5% of the electorate. On this page you can find out what that figure is for Lewisham.

Local Government Act 2000 Petitions and Referendums

In accordance with the Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions & Directions) Regulations 2000 and the Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions) (England) Regulations 2011, I am giving notice that the number equal to 5% of the number of local government electors shown in the electoral register for the authority's area, as of 15 February 2025, is 10,257.

The number published above shall be used for verification purposes in relation to any petition presented to us in the period of 12 months beginning with 1 April 2025. [*] 

Jennifer Daothong
Chief Executive and Electoral Registration Officer 
London Borough of Lewisham
Laurence House
Catford
SE6 4RU 

[*] Where the number published in any year is less than the number published in the preceding year, the number to be used for verification purposes, in relation to any petition presented to the authority in the period beginning on the date of publication of the lesser number and ending immediately before 1 April in that year, shall be that lesser number.