Postal voting

To apply, your name must be listed on the current Register of Electors.

If you apply in time before an election, you can vote by post and don't need to give a reason unless you ask for the papers to be sent to a different address.

You can apply to vote by post for just one announced election date, for a specific period, or permanently.

For security, you must give your date of birth and signature when you apply, and again whenever you vote by post. Similar to completing passport applications, this information must be given clearly and distinctly within the boxes provided.

When your papers are sent to you, complete your ballot paper in secret, seal it up, and take it to the post box yourself if you can (postage is free of charge within the UK)

Request a postal vote application with our online form.

Although Power of Attorney does not apply to electoral forms, if an elector is unable to sign in a consistent or distinctive way due to disability, they may be granted an exemption from having to do so. Please contact us if this is the case.

At election time all postal voters must return a special security statement containing their signature and date of birth with their completed ballot paper, to be matched up with those kept on record. This is a legal procedure to ensure your vote is protected - no one will ever know who you voted for.

Please note that you should not wait for an election to be called before you send us your completed form. Postal and proxy applications should be sent to us immediately to avoid missing statutory deadlines.

Postal ballot papers can only be sent out around a week before election day. You should ensure that they are sent to an address where you can receive them, and also consider whether this gives you enough time to complete and return them. It may be more practical for you to vote by proxy, which is appointing someone to vote on your behalf.

Once you have a postal vote

As a postal voter, you will not be able to vote in person at the polling station (unless you had cancelled it in writing in advance). Polling station staff will not issue you with a ballot paper under any circumstances.