Voting by post? Read on to find out the best way to return your vote

Voting by post this year? There’s national changes to how you need to return your vote.

The best way to return your vote is by Royal Mail – so fill in your vote early and get it in the post box as soon as you can! The other option is to hand it in at the Municipal Offices in Grimsby or at a polling station, but you must fill in a form at the same time, or your vote will be rejected.

This year residents in North East Lincolnshire will be voting to select:

• Councillors in 12 of our 15 Wards, who represent their local area and residents, and will help shape the future of their local area by making plans and taking decisions (there are no elections in Waltham, West Marsh or Wolds this year).
• Humberside Police and Crime Commissioner, who is responsible for holding the police to account and for policing as a whole in our area.

National changes for 2024 regarding postal voting

National changes to regulations this year mean that postal votes must either be returned through the Royal Mail, or alternatively, can be handed in, in person, at the reception to the Municipal Offices, Grimsby to an authorised officer during opening hours or at the polling stations on the day of the election.

If you have a postal vote ballot pack please ensure you follow the new rules:

• There is a limit to the number of postal votes a person can hand in at a polling station – a person will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs for other electors plus their own.
• If a person hands in more than five postal ballot packs for other electors, all the postal votes (other than their own) will be rejected.
• If there is reason to suspect that a person has already handed in the maximum number of postal votes elsewhere (e.g. another polling station) at the election, any subsequent postal votes handed in will be rejected.
• Anyone handing in postal votes must to complete a ‘return of postal voting documents’ form for it to be counted.

The person handing in the postal vote(s) will need to complete the form with their name, address and the reason for handing in other people’s postal votes (where appropriate). If the form is not completed with all the required information, or to the authorised officer’s satisfaction, the postal vote(s) will be rejected.