Photo ID will be required to be able to vote in person at a General Election for the first time on Thursday 4th July and Islanders are being reminded that if they do not have a valid document such as a passport or driving license, they have only a few days to apply for a free photo ID.
The closing date to apply is 5pm on Wednesday 26th June and information about which documents are accepted at polling stations and how to apply for the free ID can be found on Isle of Wight Council’s photographic voter ID page.
Anyone applying for a free photo ID should make sure they have a clear head & shoulders photograph with a plain background.
Postal votes
Meanwhile, postal voters are now receiving their ballots and the council is urging people to return them as quickly as possible.
Most postal votes are returned via Royal Mail, but they can also be handed in at County Hall during office hours or to any polling station on election day.
However, rules on who can handle postal votes have now changed.
- Voters will be only able to hand in their own postal vote, and the postal votes of up to five other people, at a polling station (or County Hall).
- Campaigners can only hand in their own postal vote, and postal votes for up to five other people that are either close relatives, or someone they provide regular care for.
- All individuals handing in postal votes to local authority offices or polling stations will need to complete a postal vote return form.
112,000 voters
There are more than 20,000 postal voters on the Isle of Wight, around 2,500 applying since the General Election was announced.
There is a total electorate of about 112,000 voters across the two new Parliamentary Constituencies.
News shared by Isle of Wight council press office, in their own words. Ed
