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 before 31 October 2023 are required to reapply for their postal vote by 31 January 2026. If a new application is 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 if 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.
We will be contacting all those affected by this change in the coming weeks explaining how to reapply and have started the process early for applications to be processed and queries responded to.
We will be sending an initial email to all electors we hold an email address for, which will be sent from the Governments Secure NOTIFY system.
All other postal voters affected, for whom we do not hold an email, will receive a letter which will contain information on what to do next.
The quickest and easiest way to 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 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.