Applying for a postal vote could not be easier

The law now allows anyone included in a register of electors to apply for a postal vote without the need to give any reason or to have the application countersigned.

If you would prefer to vote by post instead of going to a polling station complete the postal voting application form.

Postal votes can be sent anywhere, either inside or outside of the UK (if, for example, you are away on holiday).

Remember, that if the address is outside of the UK, it will take a longer time to reach you and for you to then return it in order for your vote to be counted.

We are not responsible or liable for postage costs to return postal votes from outside the UK or for any delays caused by postal services inside or outside of the UK.
 
If you move house you must tell the Electoral Registration Officer immediately and re-register, or you may lose your postal vote arrangement.

BY law we need a specimen of your signature and date of birth. This is used as a security check at election time to ensure your postal vote is valid.

When completing the application form, please ensure that your signature and date of birth are within the grey highlighed border of the boxes. If you have difficulty printing the form, please contact us.

Return your completed application form to us by post. Please do not email the form, as we require your signature.

Please contact us if you would like any further advice or assistance.

Please do not email the postal vote application, as we require a wet ink signature.

Five year refresh of signatures for postal & proxy voters

Absent Voters (i.e. those who vote by post or by proxy) are required to provide a signature and date of birth when they first apply.

When you receive your postal vote for an election you are required to provide your signature and date of birth on a postal voting statement.  These  are referred to as 'personal identifiers' and  are checked against those you provided on your original postal or proxy vote application form, to ensure that they match.  This is to prevent someone else from using your vote.  If the personal identifiers do not match, your vote cannot be counted. 

As part of postal and proxy voting  security measures, the law requires an elector to provide a fresh specimen signature every 5 years, since people's signatures and circumstances can change over time. 

The Electoral Registration Officer must carry out the first annual refresh of signatures by 31 January 2012  in order to ensure that the signatures for as many absent voters as possible are refreshed, producing as accurate a record as possible and potentially limiting the number of postal votes that are rejected due to mismatched personal identifiers.

Beginning in January 2012, those postal and proxy voters who have had an absent vote arrangement since January 2007, when the first capture of signatures and date of births was undertaken, will be requested to provide a new signature.

Please make sure you sign and return this request form as soon as possible as we legally have to send a reminder 3 weeks later.  If you do not return the signature request form by the deadline your existing absent vote facility will be cancelled and you will have to vote in person or make a new application.

If you have a disability which means that you either cannot provide a signature or sign in a consistent and distinctive way, please contact Electoral Services on telephone number 01904 551051.

If you no longer want to vote by post you must respond by ticking the relevant box on the reverse of the form and return it to us as soon as possible in order to avoid any unnecessary reminders.

After 2012, and every year thereafter, those electors who have had their postal or proxy vote arrangement for 5 years will automatically be contacted to provide a new signature.  You only need to provide a new signature once every five years.

If you have changed address or the details of your absent vote have changed in the last 5 years, you will automatically be contacted when a new signature is required.
If you lose your refresh form to provide your signature or you make a mistake, contact Electoral Services on telephone number 01904 551051 for a replacement.

Return your completed signature refresh form to Electoral Services, in the envelope provided or to Electoral Services, FREEPOST 192, York. YO1 9ZF