Voters going to the polls for the local elections on 4 May will see two key changes.
Photo ID will need to be shown, and every single one of the 66 council seats in Wirral is up for grabs.
This is what you need to know before visiting the ballot box.
Voter ID
The UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at local, police and crime commissioner and parliamentary elections.
You may already have a form of photo ID that is acceptable as you can use any of the following:
- Passport issued by the UK, the Channel Islands, Isle of Man, British Overseas Territories, an EEA state or a Commonwealth country
- Driving licence issued by the UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or an EEA state
- Biometric immigration document
- Identity card bearing the Proof of Age Standards Scheme hologram (a PASS card)
- Ministry of Defence Form 90 (Defence Identity Card)
- Blue Badge
- National identity card issued by an EEA state
- Older Person’s Bus Pass
- Disabled Person’s Bus Pass
See the full list of acceptable ID on the Electoral Commission website.
If you have a form of accepted photo ID which is out of date, you can still use it to vote at a polling station – if it still looks like you.
You will only need to show one form of photo ID, but it needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. Images on phones will not be accepted.
Voter ID is not needed for postal voting.
What if I don’t have any acceptable form of photo ID?
If you don’t already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, which is known as a Voter Authority Certificate. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for the local elections on 4 May 2023 is 5pm on Tuesday 25 April 2023.
You need to be registered to vote before you apply for a Voter Authority Certificate. You can register to vote online at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote or contact the electoral services team. You will need your national insurance number to register. You can also apply by post, or contact Electoral Services by email at electoral@wirral.gov.uk or calling 0151 691 8046.
More information on the requirements for voter ID can be found on the Electoral Commission website
Whole council elections
A review of the council’s governance last year – sparked by it having to request financial assistance from the government to balance its budget – recommended a move to whole council elections at the earliest opportunity.
The review concluded that “elections in thirds, changes in political control, and changes in political group leadership have, since the first election to the Council in 1973, worked against the stability needed to make and carry through long term strategies”.
It added: “There is no evidence of work from the political groups to build political consensus on medium term financial strategies that could cushion the impacts of the electoral cycle.”
A public consultation held last year found that almost 61 per cent of the 527 respondents were in favour of the move, and the decision was later ratified by the council.
It means that every council seat at the Town Hall – three per ward – is up for election on 4 May.
In future – unless there is a by-election due to the resignation or death of a councillor – residents will only go to the polls every four years.
More information about the local elections can be found on the council website at https://www.wirral.gov.uk/elections-and-voting/elections/local-elections.
