How to vote by Post

Postal voting

You can vote by post instead of going to vote at your local polling station in person.

You can apply for a po​stal vote at any time of the year but you need to apply for a postal vote by 5pm on the 11th working day before the election you want to vote in.

If you ask for ballot papers to be sent to an address which is not the one where you are registered to vote, you will have to give us a reason for the change.

We try to ensure applications are successful and correct any errors. However, if there is an error on your postal vote application and the deadline for applications has passed, you cannot vote by post in that election. You can vote in person at your polling station.

From 31st October 2023, you will need to provide your date of birth, National Insurance number and signature on the application form. This is due to a change to electoral law which requires you to verify your identity when applying to vote by post.

If you are unable to provide your National Insurance number, you will need to provide an explanation. Further evidence will be requested by the Electoral Services team, such as a passport, driving licence or utility bills.

There are two ways to apply to vote by post:

You can choose to apply for a postal vote for a particular election, a particular type of election, or all elections you are eligible to vote in. You can apply for a postal vote for a specific time period or for a maximum of three years. You will need to reapply for a postal vote every three years.

If you are applying using a paper application form, please complete the form and return it to postal.vote@newham.gov.uk or alternatively post it to: Electoral Services, Newham Dockside 1000 Dockside Road, London E16 2QU

Old style applications received after 30 October 2023 (without a national insurance number) will be rejected. Applicants will be notified in writing and given instructions to re-apply.

How do I vote by post?

Once your postal vote application is successful, your ballot papers will be sent out to you about 11 calendar days before polling day in a special envelope with instructions on how to complete your ballot paper.

You must:

  • Complete your ballot paper in secret – it is your vote, do not share it with anyone else.
  • Sign and put your date of birth on the postal voting statement – if these do not match to our records, your vote will not be counted.
  • Put the completed ballot paper and postal voting statement in the envelope provided.
  • Return it to us by 10pm on polling day.  You do not need a stamp. If you don’t post it in time, you can deliver it by hand to a polling station or our offices.

Security

The signature and date of birth on the postal vote statement that you return with your ballot papers are checked against the signature and date of birth on your postal vote application.

Renewing Your Postal Vote signature

After three years, you will be sent a form requesting a new copy of your signature. This is required by law, as signatures can change over time.

If your postal vote is rejected at an election because your signature or date of birth does not match our records, we will send you a letter after the election to inform you and asking you to update your signature.

You can download and print postal vote application forms from the Electoral Commission website and send to postal.vote@newham.gov.uk. You can also submit a postal vote application by post to:

Electoral Services
Newham Dockside
1000 Dockside Road
London 
E16 2QU