Application to vote by post
Fill in the postal vote application form.
Make sure you complete all sections of the form and supply your date of birth and signature.
Return your form to your local electoral registration office. You can find their details at
www.aboutmyvote.co.uk.
How do I apply to vote by post?
1
2
3
Only electors who are (or will be) registered individually are entitled to apply to vote by post. Contact
your Electoral Registration Officer at the address above for further information.
Please do not return your form to The Electoral Commission. Please note: You must return your postal
vote application form by 5pm, 11 working days before an election or referendum. If you are not
already registered to vote, your application to register must have reached the Electoral Registration
Officer by midnight, 12 working days before the poll.
Voting by post
You can apply to vote by post for a particular
election or referendum*, for a set period of time or
for all future polls. Postal votes can be sent out to
addresses in the UK and abroad.
What happens after I’ve returned
this form?
■ When an election or referendum is going to be
held, your ballot paper will be sent to you in the
post. Remember, your ballot paper may not be
sent out until four working days before the poll.
■ If your ballot paper does not arrive by this
time, contact the Returning Officer at your
local council for a replacement.The Returning
Officer can only issue replacements up to 5pm
on polling day
.
■ You will need to give your date of birth and
signature on this application form, a
nd again
when you use your postal vote. This information
is needed to prevent fraud. If you are unable to
sign this form, please contact your Electoral
Registration Officer.
■ Make sure you return your postal vote so that
it arrives by polling day
, otherwise it will not be
counted. A Freepost envelope is included in
your postal ballot pack. But, if you are sending it
from overseas, you will need to pay the postage.
■ If it is too late to send your vote back by
post, you can hand it in on polling day to the
returning officer at your local council, or drop it
off at a polling station. F
or further information
contact the Returning Officer.
* By referendum we mean Neighbourhood Planning Referendums, Council Tax Referendums,
Mayoral & Governance Arrangements Referendums and Local Authority Advisory polls.
If you wish to apply to vote by post for a different type of referendum, please contact your
Electoral Registration Officer.