Postal vote update
You have until 30 October 2023 to submit the old-style postal vote application forms. After that date, you will be required to apply for a postal vote online. If required, a new paper application form will be available.
You will need to prove your identity when applying. You will be asked to provide your national insurance number as well as your date of birth and signature.
Postal vote arrangements will be limited to a maximum period of 3 years. After this period, the elector is required to make a new application.
More information about changes to the UK electoral system can be found on the Electoral Commission website.
How to apply
If you want to vote by post, you must first make sure you are registered to vote. You will likely only need to register if you have recently moved address, changed your name or recently turned 18 years old. Find out more and register to vote online.
If you are already registered to vote at your current address, you can apply to vote by post instead of at a polling station. You can apply at any time and don't need to wait for an election to be called.
Once registered, or if you are already registered, you will need to apply to vote by post by the deadline according to that election.
Apply to vote by post
You will not need to provide photo ID to vote by post. You will however be asked to provide a signature specimen and your date of birth - these will be stored securely.
Each time you vote by post, your signature will then be checked against the specimen you provided. If you are unable to sign in a consistent or distinctive way, perhaps because of a disability, you may be granted an exemption, called a waiver.
Priority post boxes
If you are voting by post, we would encourage you to consider using a priority post box to return your vote.
Royal Mail offers 35,000 priority post boxes which have late collection times, with 98% of them having a collection time of after 4pm. In many cases these priority post boxes will also have an earlier collection as well.
Of the 35,000 priority post boxes 15,000 of them also have a collection between 3pm and 5pm on both Saturday and Sunday.
Check on the Royal Mail website to find your nearest priority post box.
