Sandwell voters reminded to take photo ID to the polls on 4 May 

Forms of photo ID that will be accepted at the polling station include:

• a passport
• a photo driving licence (including a provisional licence)
• an older person’s or disabled person’s bus pass
• an identity card with the PASS hologram
• a Blue Badge
• a biometric immigration document and some other forms of official ID
• a Voter Authority Certificate for those who applied for one

If you are using a bus pass for ID, please check carefully if it will be accepted by visiting the Electoral Commission website or the Sandwell Council website. A young person's bus pass is not considered accepted photo ID.

Expired photo ID – such as an expired passport – will be accepted as long as the photo still looks like you.

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

Anyone without accepted photographic ID or a Voter Authority Certificate will not be issued with a ballot paper and will not be able to cast their vote. Voters who don’t take their ID with them are welcome to return later with photo ID to vote. Anyone who wishes to have their identity checked in private can do so behind a privacy screen, and all polling stations will have at least one female member of staff.

There are 24 seats up for election in Sandwell on Thursday 4 May and polling stations are open from 7am until 10pm.

Sandwell Council’s Returning Officer, Shokat Lal, said: “This is a new national requirement, so everyone who intends to vote at a polling station in the elections on 4 May must check now that they have an accepted form of photographic identification.

“Please check in advance that you have your photo ID and you know where it is so that you are ready to take it with you to vote.”

Full details about this year’s elections are on the council website.

For further assistance call the council’s Voter ID Helpline on 0121 569 6999 or call the elections team on 0121 569 3244.