Postal Voting

Do I have to give a reason for requesting a postal vote?

No. A postal vote is available on demand. This request can last until further notice, for a particular election only or for a specific period only. You do not need to give a reason for asking but you must make a written application.

If you already have a postal vote and you want your ballot paper to be sent to an address other than the one at which you are registered to vote, you have to tell us the reason why you want to do this. We can refuse to send your ballot paper to the address you request if we are not satisfied with the reason given. We will tell you if this is the case.

What if I make a mistake and spoil my postal ballot paper?

If you make a mistake when you are voting on your postal ballot paper, you can ask for another one. To do this, you must contact the election helpline as quickly as possible as there is only a limited time in which to get a new ballot paper to you. Before you can have a replacement, all the documents that came with your original ballot (including the ballot paper itself) have to be delivered to the Returning Officer.

If you need a replacement ballot paper or any of the other documents that came with your postal vote, call the elections helpline on 01793 463543 as quickly as possible. Replacements cannot be provided after 5.00pm on the day of the election.

What if I asked for a postal vote and it did not arrive?

If you asked for a postal vote and one does not arrive you must contact the elections helpline as quickly as possible as there is only a limited time in which to get a postal vote to you.

When you applied to vote by post, the Electoral Registration Officer would have sent you a letter to tell you that your application had been received and accepted. If you did not get a letter telling you this, then your application was probably not received by the Electoral Registration Officer.

If you think you should have received a postal vote and you haven’t received it at least four working days before an election day, then please call the Elections Helpline on 01793 463543 immediately.

It’s Election Day and I haven’t posted my postal vote, what can I do?

You must post your postal vote in sufficient time so that it can be delivered by the Royal Mail to the Returning Officer by 10.00pm on the day of an election. The Royal Mail will undertake a special sweep of the sorting office on the evening of Election Day and make a special delivery of postal votes to the Returning Officer.

You are, however, advised to post your ballot paper at least two days before the day of the election to give sufficient time for it to be delivered to the Returning Officer.

You can, of course, deliver it in person at any time up until 10.00pm on the day of an election, to:

The Returning Officer
Civic Offices
Euclid Street
Swindon
SN1 2JH

Please do not deliver to any other Swindon Borough Council office - particularly on the day of an election.

You can also deliver your postal vote (not just the ballot paper but its envelope and the postal voting statement) to any polling station in the ward in which you are registered to vote on the day of an election. To find out the location of polling stations in your ward you can call the elections helpline on 01793 463543.