If you’re unable to vote in person at your polling station, you can apply to vote by post. This page explains how to register, apply, and reapply for a postal vote.
Be Registered to Vote
Before you can apply for a postal vote, you must be registered to vote in the UK.
If you’re not yet registered, visit the https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote page and complete the process—it only takes a few minutes.
How to Apply for a Postal Vote
You can apply for a postal vote online through the official government portal:
👉 Apply for a Postal Vote Online
To complete your application, you’ll need:
- Your registered voting address
- Your National Insurance number (or another form of ID)
- A photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper
You can apply for:
- A one-off postal vote for a specific election
- A postal vote for a set period
- A long-term postal vote (up to 3 years)
Postal Vote Reapplication Process
Due to changes introduced by the Elections Act 2022, all postal voters must now reapply every 3 years to keep their postal vote active.
All postal voters who made their current application before 31 October 2023 are now 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.
We will be contacting all those affected by this change in the coming weeks explaining how to reapply.
How to reapply
The quickest and easiest way to reapply for a postal vote is on the GOV.UK website.
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.
FAQ’s
I no longer wish to vote by post, what do I need to do?
Cancellation of postal votes must be made in writing, and this can be done by email to elections@sstaffs.gov.uk or by letter to:
Electoral Services, South Staffordshire Council, Council Offices, Wolverhampton Road, Codsall, WV8 1PX
Your correspondence must include your full name and address.
What are my personal identifiers and how they are used?
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 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.
How do I upload a signature online?
Find out how to upload your signature.
I can't sign consistently, what can I do?
If you are unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature but still want to vote by post, you can apply for a signature waiver. You will be required to provide a reason why you are unable to provide a consistent signature. For example, due to disability or an inability to read/write.
For a signature waiver application form, please contact us.