The way you apply for a Postal vote has now changed, you can now apply directly on the gov.uk website.
Postal vote
From 2 May 2024, there will be restrictions on the handing in of postal votes:
- A new criminal offence to stop political parties and campaigners handling certain completed postal voting pack
- Voters should make every attempt to post their voting pack in a Royal Mail post box or post office in good time for it to be received before 10pm on polling day
- Voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal voting packs (in addition to their own) at a polling station or a council office per election that is taking place
- A declaration form will need to be completed by the person handing in any postal voting packs to ensure they meet the new requirements
- The declaration form must be completed in full otherwise the postal voting packs being hand delivered could all be rejected
- If postal voting packs are handed in without a declaration form being completed they will be classed as “left behind” and rejected
You can have your postal vote sent to any address you want, so long as you have told us in advance. People living overseas can have their postal vote sent to them, but they may not be able to get it back in time to be counted in the election (overseas voters may be better applying for a proxy vote by appointing someone to vote for them).
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If you have not received your ballot paper by the fourth working day before election day, you can ask us to give you a replacement ballot paper – but we can only do this up to 5pm on the day of the election. We will ask you for proof of identity. Because of the short timescale and the need for proof of identity, you will normally have to come to the council offices to collect a replacement ballot paper
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If you fill in your ballot paper incorrectly and you want us to replace it you must contact us and bring it to the council offices, together with all the other documents we sent with it, and ask us to give you a new ballot paper. You must do this by 5pm on the day of the election at the latest. You may not have time to send it back by post.
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Yes, but you must tell us in writing. We need to receive this at least 11 days before an election or you will still get your postal vote and not be able to vote at a polling station at that election.
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