The May local elections are fast approaching, with all key political parties dutifully campaigning in the hope of winning council seats up and down the country.
If the polls are to be believed, Keir Starmer’s Labour Party look set to make significant gains, with the Conservative chairman Greg Hands already seeking to manage expectations for the Tory party by warning they could be set to lose an astonishing 1000 seats in the upcoming vote.
This election will be slightly different to others, chiefly by the requirement for voter ID for in-person voting being put in place for the first time.
But if you prefer to post your ballot rather than heading down to a polling station, when and how do you do it?
Here is what you need to know.
How to register to vote by post
You could register to vote by post in England, Scotland, or Wales for several reasons.
Whether you are away from home, heading abroad, or simply find it more convenient than voting in person, you do not need to state why you want to vote by post if you live in Great Britain.
In order to register to vote by post, you need to fill out a postal vote application form. You can download and print off the form on from government website.
Once completed, you will then need to return it to your local electoral registration office, which can be found by searching on the Electoral Commission’s website.
It’s possible to state whether you would like to vote by post in a specific upcoming election or referendum, for a select time, or in every future ballot.
If neither voting in person nor by mail is appropriate for you, it is also possible to nominate someone to vote for you by proxy.
When is the deadline to vote by post in the local elections?
The application to vote by post states that your application needs to have arrived at its destination ‘by 5pm, 11 working days before the poll’ – meaning your form needs to be sent in time to arrive by 5pm on Wednesday, April 18 in order to vote in the local elections.
However, the application also states: ‘If you are not already registered to vote, you must register before applying for a postal vote. The deadline to register to vote is midnight, 12 working days before the poll.’
The government have said, ‘the deadline to register to vote in the elections in England on May, 4 2023 is 11.59pm on Monday, April 17.’
If you are registered to vote by post, then a ballot paper will be sent out to you. You should ensure that this ballot is filled out and posted in time for it to reach its destination by the close of polls (10pm) on election day – May 4, 2023.
However, if you do find that it is too late to return your vote by post, you can hand it in on polling day to the elections office at your council, or drop it off at specific polling stations.
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First appear at When is the deadline to vote by post in the May 2023 local elections?
