Voting by post in Britain: how to apply and the deadline

A postal vote lets you get your ballot at home, fill it in and send it back without going to a polling station. It is available for elections in England, Scotland and Wales, from Parliamentary and local elections to mayors and referendums.

Who can vote by post?

You must be registered to vote first. After that any registered voter can apply for a postal vote and does not have to give a reason. People registered anonymously must apply through their electoral registration office.

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What do you need to apply?

Apply online on GOV.UK or by sending a paper form to your electoral registration office. You will need:

• the address where you are registered to vote;
• your National Insurance number or other ID, such as a passport;
• the date of the election, if you only want a one-off postal vote;
• a photo of your signature in black ink on plain white paper.

If you cannot give a consistent signature, you may be able to apply for a signature waiver.

How long before the election?

The hard deadline is to apply no later than 11 working days before the election, by 5pm on that day. The same deadline applies if you want to cancel your postal vote, switch to a proxy vote or change where your pack is sent. Ballot packs are sent no earlier than 19 working days before the election, so apply early — especially if you will be abroad.

One-off or ongoing?

You can set up a postal vote for a single election or on an ongoing basis — then a ballot is sent for every future vote until you cancel or move. For a one-off, you give the election date. Your National Insurance number (issued for work and contributions) proves your identity; without it, another document such as a passport works. Remember you must be registered to vote first — without registration you cannot arrange a postal vote.

Plan ahead: because packs are sent no earlier than 19 working days before the election and the deadline is 11 working days before by 5pm, there is little real time. If you will be away, apply as early as possible so the ballot can reach you and return by post in time.

What to remember

If you move house you must re-register to vote at the new address and then reapply for a postal vote — it does not transfer automatically. Northern Ireland has different rules and applications there are by post only.