If you will not be able to get to your polling station on election day, you can apply for a postal vote. You can also nominate someone you trust, known as your proxy, to cast your vote for you. These are known as ‘absent voting’.
You must be registered to vote before you can apply to vote by post or proxy.
You will need to renew your absent vote regularly. Postal votes last a maximum of three years, and proxy votes last a maximum of five years.
We will contact you before your absent votes expires, but we must cancel your absent vote if you do not reapply by the given deadline. Jump to the section about renewing your absent vote below.
Voting by post
Postal votes can be permanent but must be renewed at least every three years. You can also apply to vote by post for a specific period or at a particular election.
You do not need to give a reason for applying, unless you want us to send your ballot paper to somewhere other than your registered address.
You will receive your ballot papers about two weeks before an election. They will include instructions on how to complete your postal vote, and a prepaid envelope to return the ballot paper in (for UK addresses only).
You must complete and return a statement including your signature and date of birth (your ‘personal identifiers’) with your postal vote. We check these against the ones you gave on your application to see if they match. If they do not match, we must reject your vote and it will not be counted.
This is a security measure to prevent someone else from using your vote. Your personal identifiers are always kept separate from your ballot paper during the opening process, so no one knows how you have voted.
Only postal votes received by 10pm on election day can be counted, so make sure to allow plenty of time for it to arrive.
Apply for a postal vote
You can apply to vote by post online – you will need to be able to upload your signature.
If you prefer, you can download and print a postal vote application form from the Electoral Commission website. Or you can ask us to post an application form to you.
You must provide your full name and the address at which you are registered to vote. You will also need to provide:
- your date of birth and signature (your personal identifiers)
- We ask for your personal identifiers as a security measure, to make sure your application and postal votes are genuine.
- your National Insurance number
- If you cannot provide a National Insurance number, you must give a reason why not. When we receive your application, we will contact you and ask for further documents to help us confirm your identity.
- a postal vote redirection address, if applicable
- If you want your postal vote sent to a different address from your registered address, you must give a valid reason for the redirection.
Hand delivering a postal vote
You can hand deliver your postal vote. We will ask you to complete a form when you do – if you leave without completing the form, we will not be able to accept the vote.
You can hand in your postal vote at our customer service centre at 4 Regent Street during opening hours. Do not put it in the post box – new rules mean we will not be able to accept it.
You can also hand it in to any polling station in your ward on election day.
You can hand deliver a maximum of five other people’s postal votes as well as your own.
Postal votes from outside the UK
We can send ballot papers to addresses outside the UK, but you should bear in mind the length of time taken for post to travel in either direction.
Postal votes going outside of the UK are sent by air mail, but you will need to pay the return postage.
We advise that you appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf instead, if you can. We will make every effort to issue your postal vote in good time, but we cannot guarantee that it will reach you and be returned in time to be counted.
Signature waivers
If you are unable to provide a signature or find it difficult to sign your name the same way each time, but you still want to vote by post, contact us. We can send you a waiver declaration form.
A waiver declaration is a formal statement that confirms why you cannot provide a signature and asks for the requirement to be ignored. Somebody else can complete it on your behalf, but they must provide their details in the form.
Voting by proxy
The person that you appoint as your proxy must be registered to vote and be eligible to vote in the election you are asking them to vote in. They will need photo ID to vote in person.
A person cannot vote as proxy for more than four voters. Only two of these can be domestic voters, meaning they live in the UK. This means you could be a proxy for a maximum of two domestic voters and two overseas voters, or a maximum of four overseas voters.
Anyone can have a temporary proxy vote, but it will only last for one election. Permanent proxy voting is restricted, and you can only apply if:
- you have a physical incapacity
- you are registered blind
- your employment or education makes it difficult for you to attend the polling station
- you are registered as an overseas elector
Apply for a proxy vote
You can apply to vote by proxy online – you will need to be able to upload your signature.
If you prefer, you can download and print a proxy vote application form from the Electoral Commission website. Or you can ask us to post an application form to you.
You must provide your full name and the address at which you are registered to vote. You will also need to provide:
- your date of birth and signature (your personal identifiers)
- We ask for your personal identifiers as a security measure.
- your National Insurance number
- If you cannot provide a National Insurance number, you must give a reason why not. When we receive your application, we will contact you and ask for further documents to help us confirm your identity.
- the name and address of the person you are appointing as your proxy, and their relationship to you.
Proxy voting by post
If your proxy cannot go to your allocated polling station on election day, they can apply to receive your vote by post. Your application for a proxy vote and theirs for a postal vote must both be received before the deadline to vote by post in any election.
Contact us for more information about proxy voting by post.
Renewing your absent vote
The Elections Act 2022 changed the length of time you can have an absent vote for. Postal votes now last a maximum of three years, and proxy votes last a maximum of five years.
We will contact you in advance of your absent vote expiry date and invite you to make a new application.
If you do not reapply by the deadline in your letter, the law says we must cancel your absent vote. If your absent vote is cancelled, you can submit a new application but will only be able to vote in person at your polling station in the meantime.
If you have previously told us your email address, we will contact you about renewing your vote there in the first instance. This is a more secure and cost-effective way of sending letters. The email will come from elections.no-reply@cambridge.gov.uk.
We will post your letter if we do not know your email address. This means some people at the same address might be contacted in different ways.
Our privacy notice [PDF, 0.2MB] explains how we use your information. If you do not want us to contact you by email, we will remove your email address from our records on request.
Cancelling your absent vote
Your postal or proxy vote will expire on the date shown in your renewal letter. It will be cancelled automatically, and you can only vote in person at elections after that date unless you reapply for an absent vote.
If you want to cancel your postal or proxy vote before it expires, write to us at Freepost RSUL-CZRU-TCYC and provide your name, address and a signature.
Your letter will travel by second-class post – attach a first-class stamp if you want it to arrive quicker.
Changes of address
If you have moved home, you will first need to register to vote before you can apply for a new postal vote.
You can register to vote online and tell us in your application that you want to vote by post or appoint a proxy.
Include your previous address in your application so we can remove you from the register of electors there.
