Renewing your postal voting arrangements 

Due to changes in the Elections Act 2022, applications for postal votes can now only be in place for either a set period of time or a maximum of up to 3 years. This means that if an elector wants their postal vote to remain in place for longer than that, they will need to make a new application when their current postal vote period ends.  

What this means for you

During February and March of this year, we will be contacting every elector whose postal vote period is due to end shortly. This communication will include instructions on how to make a new application. 

If you receive a notification from us by email or post, please complete your application as soon as possible. This ensures you are still registered to vote by post for all future elections. The email you receive from us will come from: elections@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk 

Apply for a new postal vote

You will need the following information to complete this gov.uk application:

• National Insurance Number
• a clear photo of your handwritten signature. This needs to be in black ink and on plain white paper
• the address where you are registered to vote

Visit Gov.uk and apply now

If you are not able to complete an application using the online service you can either:

• contact us to request a paper copy
• visit Gov.uk and download a copy of the form

Your completed application then needs to be returned to us.

If you are unable to provide a signature 

You can still apply for a postal vote if you can’t provide a consistent signature. If you apply online and someone is helping you with your application, there is an option to include the name of the person helping you and the reason why you are unable to provide a consistent signature. 

If you complete a paper application, please contact us by phone or email and request a waiver declaration to be sent to you. The waiver declaration needs to be returned with your postal vote application form by either email or post:

Email: elections@dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

Electoral Services
Legal and Democratic Services
Dorset Council
County Hall
Dorchester
Dorset
DT1 1XJ

Your personal identifiers and how they are used

In your application to vote by post, you will be asked to provide your date of birth and signature (also known as your “personal identifiers”). 

When you then make a vote by post, you will be asked to complete and return a statement giving your personal identifiers. We then 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 nobody else knows how you have voted.

Cancelling your postal vote

If you wish to cancel your postal vote, please contact us so that we can remove your existing arrangement.  

Contact us

If you need any further help or guidance, then please contact us.