Absent Vote Reapplication

The Elections Act 2022 introduced a number of changes which include the requirement for electors to reapply for their postal vote every three years.

Electors who made their current application to vote by post on or before 30 January 2024 will be 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.

Electors who applied after the 31 January 2024 will be contacted at the relevant time when their postal votes are coming up to their expiry date. These dates are based on fixed national cut-off dates and not from your application received date.

We will be contacting all those affected by this change in the Autumn of 2025 explaining how to reapply.

Where we hold an email address for an elector, they will receive an email from us which will be sent through Gov.notify, the Governments secure notification platform. The email is not a scam and will be from elections.stroud.district.council@notifications.service.gov.uk.

All other postal voters who need to renew where 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 is to reapply online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
Easy Read Guide

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

After you have submitted your new application 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

Once the identity check has been undertaken and your postal vote accepted, your postal vote will be valid for a maximum period of three years and a new application must be made at the end of that time.

If you choose not to reapply for your postal vote, electors must present an acceptable form of photo ID when voting in person where no absent voting method is in place. Electors should ensure they have the correct accepted ID.

You can spot a genuine email from us as:

the email title will be Notice to reapply for your postal vote – ACTION REQUIRED
the sender will be from elections.stroud.district.council@notifications.service.gov.uk
some members of the same household may be contacted in different ways depending on whether we have an email address or not and depending on when they applied for their postal vote

We are using emails where a voter has provided an email address to reduce our carbon footprint and to reduce the cost of sending letters by post.

Cancellation of postal votes must be made in writing, and this can be done by email to elections@stroud.gov.uk or by letter to:

Electoral Services
Stroud District Council
Ebley Mill
Ebley Wharf
Stroud
GL5 4UB

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 will be 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.

You can download a paper application form from our website here. You can also request a paper application form by emailing elections@stroud.gov.uk or calling electoral services on 01453 766321.

If you are unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature but still want to vote by post, you can apply for a postal vote without giving your signature.

Apply for a postal vote

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.

Your signature must:

be signed in black ink on plain white paper
look the same as it normally does
not be written with a stylus or finger on a screen

Further guidance can be found here.

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.