The maximum period a postal voting arrangement can last is now 3 years. After this, postal votes must be renewed, or they will automatically expire.
All postal voters who made their current application before 31 October 2023 must make a new application for their postal vote by 31 January 2026 if they wish to continue to vote by post.
How will I know if my postal vote is due to expire?
If your postal vote is due to expire, we will contact you by letter from 29 August 2025.
We will also be dispatching email and text reminders throughout the renewal process.
How can I respond?
The quickest and easiest way to renew is to apply for a postal vote online at GOV.UK.
As part of your application, you will be required to upload a scanned image or photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.
If you cannot complete an application using the online service, please contact the voting and elections team.
If you do not provide a fresh application by 31 January 2026, your postal vote will be cancelled and you will need to vote in person at a polling station, unless you make a new postal voting application.
Your personal identifiers and how they are used
On your application to vote by post you must provide your date of birth and signature (your ‘personal identifiers’). When you vote by post you complete and return a statement giving your personal identifiers. We check the personal identifiers on your statement against those you gave on your application to check that they match. If they do not match, your vote cannot be counted. This is 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.
If you are unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature due to a disability or inability to read or write, but still want to vote by post, you can apply for a signature waiver. For more information contact the voting and elections team.
Please note: if your postal vote is cancelled because you have not reapplied by 31 January 2026, you can still reapply for a postal vote online at GOV.UK. You can apply for a new postal vote up to 5pm, 11 working days before an election.
For more information about voting by post, visit our voting by post or proxy webpage.