Postal voting

Reapplying for a postal vote

Following changes introduced by the Elections Act 2022, postal voters are now required to reapply for their postal vote every three years.

All postal voters who made their current application on or before 30 January 2024 are required to reapply for their postal vote by 31 January 2026.  If a new successful application was not received by this date the Electoral Registration Officer is required by law to cancel the postal vote, and electors will have to vote in a polling station until a new postal vote application is received or a proxy is appointed.

To vote in a polling station all electors are now required to bring in an accepted form of photo ID on the day.

The quickest and easiest way to reapply for a postal vote on GOV.UK.

As part of your application, you will be required to provide your:

  • Date of birth
  • National Insurance Number
  • Upload a photo or scanned copy of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

The Elections Act 2022 introduced the following changes for voters who applied for a postal vote after 31 October 2023:

  • Electors can now apply online
  • Electors must prove suitable identity as part of the application process. Your identity will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If this identity check fails, you must provide evidence of your identity.
  • Postal vote applications are now valid for a maximum period of three years and a new application must be made at the end of that time.  

Frequently Asked Questions

You can reapply for a postal vote

As part of your application, you will be required to provide your:

  • Date of birth
  • National Insurance Number
  • Upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

If you are unable to complete your application online you can download a paper application form in England.

You can also request a paper application form by contacting your local Electoral Services office

If you are unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature due to a disability or inability to read or write, but still want to vote by post, you can apply for a postal vote without giving your signature. For more information and to find out how to apply in this way, please contact your local Electoral Services team by phone or email and request a waiver declaration to be sent to you.

You will be required to provide a reason why you are unable to provide a consistent signature. 

If you have had help completing the application, that person will be required to supply their details.

If you prefer to complete a paper application, please contact us by phone or email and request a waiver declaration to be sent to you. The waiver declaration needs to be returned with your postal vote application form.

Find out how to upload your signature

You must prove your identity as part of the application process.

Your National Insurance Number (NINO) will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If this identity check fails, you must provide evidence of your identity.

Get help to find your National Insurance number

If you are unable to provide your National Insurance number, you'll need to provide some documents so that we can confirm your identity.

Cancellation of postal votes must be made in writing, and this can be done by email or by letter to your local Electoral Services office

Your correspondence must include your full name and address.

Be aware that if you are no longer a postal voter, you now need to take an accepted form of photo ID with you to vote in a polling station. For more information visit the voter ID page on the Electoral Commission website.

On your application to vote by post you must provide your date of birth and signature, these are your “personal identifiers”.

When you vote by post you are required to complete and return a statement giving your personal identifiers. These are then checked against those you gave on your application to check that they match. If they do not match, your vote will not be counted and your postal vote rejected.

This is a security measure to prevent someone else from using your vote.

Your personal identifiers are always kept separate from your ballot paper, so no-one knows how you have voted.

The next scheduled elections will be the unitary council elections which will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026.

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