After the deadline to become a candidate has passed (approximately three weeks before polling day), ballot papers are produced and printed. If you have registered to vote by post, your ballot paper will be sent to you, in your postal voting pack.
Once you receive your postal voting pack, make sure to keep it somewhere safe. Don’t let anyone else handle it and avoid leaving it where someone else could pick it up.
How to vote by post
Step one: When you receive your postal voting pack, check the contents carefully. Inside your pack, there should be:
- instructions about how to cast your vote and how to return the postal vote
- a postal voting statement
- envelope A for your completed ballot paper
- return envelope B
- the ballot paper or papers for the elections taking place
- Your postal vote security statement
Step two: Complete the postal voting statement carefully following the instructions.
Step three: Read the instructions on the ballot paper carefully. Some elections use different voting systems, so you need to make sure you fill in each ballot paper correctly.
Step four: Complete your ballot paper. Make sure you do it alone and in secret. Don’t write anything else on the paper, or your vote may not be counted.
Step five: Put your ballot paper in the smaller envelope marked A.
Step six: Put your completed postal voting statement and the ballot paper envelope into the return envelope marked B, and seal it. Make sure the return address is clear.
Step seven: Put your postal vote somewhere safe until you’re ready to post it.
Returning your postal vote
Return your completed postal vote as soon as possible by taking it to a Royal Mail post box yourself.
If you can’t post it yourself, you can either ask someone you know and trust to post it for you.
Do not ask a candidate or party worker to post it for you. It is an offence for campaigners, candidates and party workers to handle the postal votes of anyone who is not a close relative or someone they provide care for.
Your postal vote needs to be with the elections team at your local council by 10pm on polling day to be counted.
If you can’t post your postal vote in time, you can take it your polling station. You can also hand it in to your local council office in person (do not put in the letter box at the Council offices).
When handing in postal votes, you will need to complete a form. You will need to include your name and address, how many postal votes you are handing in and why you are handing in those postal votes.
Campaigners can only hand in their own postal vote, and postal votes for up to five other people that are either close relatives, or someone they provide regular care for.
How to cancel your postal vote
If you want to cancel your postal vote you should contact your local council to request this. You must do so before 5pm, 11 working days before the election you will be voting in.
If you have already returned your completed postal vote, you will not be able to cancel it for that election.
Sharon Wroot, Returning Officer for North East Lincolnshire said: “It’s really important that people return their voting papers if you vote by post. It’s only by doing this that you are having your say about who represents you on the Local Council.”
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