Go to navigation
Postal votes
You may apply to receive a postal vote instead of voting in
person on election day. You can vote by post for a permanent or
fixed period or for just one election.
You do not have to give a reason for your application to vote by
post but you do have to be registered to vote for your application to be
processed. A postal vote will be sent to the address of your choice
about a week before polling day, together with instructions on how
to complete the paperwork.
A reply-paid envelope will be provided if your postal vote
address is in the UK. If you have been issued with a postal vote,
you cannot attend your polling station and vote in person.
Overseas
A postal vote may be sent overseas but this is not recommended,
as there is little time for the voter to receive and return the
ballot paper in time for polling day. In these circumstances, it
may be preferable to appoint a proxy.
Safety and security of votes
Councils across England write to anyone who has previously voted
by post to ask for their signature and date of birth. This is to
ensure the safety and security of votes submitted without the
elector visiting the polling station.
At election time, the statement that you complete with your
signature and date of birth is separated from the envelope that
contains your postal ballot paper.
The envelope containing your completed ballot paper is opened
and the ballot paper is removed for counting. Nobody is able to
match your name against your your vote. The postal ballot paper
envelope is opened in a separate process.
When your postal vote is received, your signature and date of
birth are compared to your original application form and those that
you provided when you completed your postal vote statement.
Your signature and date of birth will only appear on a computer
screen. If the computer system indicates that there is some
mismatch, the returning officer's staff will need to adjudicate on
them, in the presence of any election agents or agents specifically
appointed by any of the candidates, to oversee what is being
done.
Nobody will be able to take a copy of the identifiers. The
postal vote statements that are completed at election time are
sealed into packets and are only kept, under lock and key with
other election documents, for a year. They must then be disposed of
securely.
These documents can only be opened if an order is made by an
Election Court. The scanned images of the election identifiers and
postal vote statements will be destroyed at the same time.
In some limited situations the council can decide to dispense
with the need to provide a signature. These are if it is satisfied
that:
- you cannot provide a signature because a disability makes it
impossible;
- you cannot read or write; or
- you are unable to sign in a consistent and distinctive way
because of a disability or inability.
Contact Electoral Services so that a special form, called a
waiver, can be sent to you.
Power of Attorney does not extend to the electoral process and
having it gives you no power to sign a postal vote statement on
behalf of the person you represent. However you can vote on behalf
of that person if you are appointed as their proxy.
It is an offence to complete a postal vote that is not your own
or to intimidate voters. If you have any allegations of fraud, they
should be referred to the police
Application forms
There are several ways to apply:
- Download the Application to
vote by post (pdf 112KB), Application to vote by proxy for a particular
election (76KB) or email Electoral Services using the contact
details below to ask for one. Please remember to include your full
name and address. To use the download facility, you will need Adobe
Acrobat Reader. If you do not have this on your computer, please
use our advice page.
- Contact the Electoral Services Office and ask for an
application form. A personalised form will be posted to you. When
the form arrives, complete and return it as soon as possible in the
envelope provided.
- Download a postal vote application from www.aboutmyvote.co.uk/ and
return it to the Electoral Services office at Gun Wharf.
It is very important not to leave it too late to apply for a
postal vote. There are legal deadlines for the receipt of
applications for postal votes before each election and these will
be published on this page.
Replacements
Replacements for lost or spoilt postal voting papers can be
collected from the Electoral Services office at Gun Wharf up to 5pm
on the day of the poll. In these circumstances voters will be asked
to produce proof of identification.
Cancelling your postal vote
Cancellation of a postal vote must be made in writing to address
below. All cancellation requests received are acknowledged and
confirmed by letter.
If you wish to change your postal vote to a proxy vote, you will need to confirm this in
writing.
Too late to post?
If you do not want to post your vote or it is too late to post
it, you can drop your completed postal ballot paper off on polling
day at the nearest polling station or you can return it to the
returning officer at the address below but you must do this before
10pm on polling day.
Postal proxy voting
If your proxy cannot attend your polling station in person for
any reason on the day of election, they can apply to vote by post.
Download a Application for proxy to vote by
post (pdf 56KB) or contact Electoral Services to request a copy
of the appropriate application form.
Add this page to my Quick Links:
Add page
Send this page to a friend:
Send