Voting by post
You can apply for a postal 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.
For the elections on Thursday 7 May 2026, you will need to apply by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.
Voting by post means that your postal vote pack is sent to your home address. You can complete your ballot paper(s) and postal vote statement(s) in your own home and send them back to us through the post using the pre-paid return envelope provided. You can also hand your postal pack in at a polling station on polling day. Please be advised that there is a limit on how many packs you are allowed to hand in.
Find out more about applying and voting by post by visiting our Voting by Post section.
Once you have applied and been granted a postal vote, please note that the date that your postal vote pack will arrive will be dependent on the date your application was made. Electors who have applied and been granted a postal vote by 1 April should receive their postal ballot papers on or around 21 April. Electors who have applied and been granted a postal vote between 2 April - 21 April will be dispatched as soon as possible, but no later than 27 April 2026.