How to Apply for a Postal Vote
For better or worse, Britain will have a General Election on Thursday 12th December 2019.
I have seen several articles (e.g. this one in The Guardian) urging young people to register so they can cast their vote when the time comes. Of course, it is right that in any democracy as many eligible people as possible register and turn out to vote. However, it is just as essential that older people also have their say.
As Pounds and Sense is aimed primarily at over-fifties, I therefore wanted to take the opportunity to encourage you to apply now for a postal vote if this might help you exercise your democratic right to vote.
Having a postal vote means that if ill health, frailty or disability prevent you getting to a polling station, you still have the opportunity to express your political preference. Likewise, you won’t have to worry about obstacles such as bad weather or a lack of transport on the day to get to the polling station.
In England, Scotland and Wales (though not Northern Ireland – see below) you do not have to give any reason for wanting a postal vote and one should be granted to you automatically if you apply.
- I assume that most readers of this blog will have registered to vote in elections already, but if by chance you haven’t, here’s a link to the relevant website. You must register by 11:59 pm on 26 November to vote in the General Election on 12 December.
How to Apply
To get a postal vote for the forthcoming election, you must apply before:
- 5pm on 26 November if you live in England, Scotland or Wales
- 5pm on 21 November if you live in Northern Ireland
Assuming you are already registered to vote, you can contact the electoral registration office of your local authority and ask them to send you the necessary application form. Or, even simpler, just visit the Your Vote Matters website. Here you can download the application form as a PDF. You’ll need to print it, complete it, sign it, and send it back to your local authority.
The good news is that the form is just a single page (plus a page of explanatory notes). You are required to enter the following details on it:
- Your full name
- Your postal address (where you are registered to vote)
- Your email address and phone number (these are optional but provide a way for the council to contact you in the event of any queries)
- The address you want your ballot paper to be sent to if it’s different from your registered address (you have to provide a reason for this).
In addition, you have to indicate whether you want a permanent postal vote (which I would recommend) or if you only want it for a certain period or for a specific election or referendum.
Finally, you have to enter your date of birth on the form and sign it in black ink within the box provided. You also have to enter the date you are applying at the foot of the form (don’t forget this, as it’s quite easy to overlook).
Where to Send Your Application
The form has to be sent to the electoral registration officer for your local authority. If you use the Your Vote Matters website, there is a search box to locate this (see screen capture below). Just enter your postcode on the site and it will show you the address to send it.
And that’s really all there is to it. Once your application has been processed, you will be registered to vote by post in future elections and referendums. A few weeks beforehand (in my experience) you should receive a voting pack, including a ballot form and a reply-paid envelope in which to return it. You will need to send it back so it arrives by 10 pm on election day. If it arrives later than this, your vote won’t be counted.
Be aware that if you have applied to vote by post, you cannot vote in person at a polling station. However, on election day you can return your postal vote to any polling station in your local authority area (before 10pm) or to the Returning Officer at your local council (before they close) if you don’t want to post it or it’s too late to post it.
One other thing is that – as mentioned above – the situation regarding postal voting is slightly different in Northern Ireland. When applying for a postal vote here, you have to provide a valid reason as to why you cannot attend in person. This could be because of illness, disability, holiday or work arrangements. In certain circumstances you can apply for an indefinite postal or proxy vote. Application forms for an absent vote form are available from the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland
Closing Thoughts
The next government, whatever its political hue, will have to address a range of issues that are of great importance to older people. Foremost among these is the cost of long-term care (and who will bear it), but there are many other areas of concern, including pensions and benefits, the NHS, public transport, housing, law and order, and the argument over whether over-75s should continue to receive free TV licences. And then of course there is Brexit, a subject about which many older people have strong views (though personally I just want it resolved one way or the other, so that the deep divide it has created in British society has some chance to heal).
So it really is important to ensure that nothing prevents you casting your vote when the time comes. Registering for a postal vote is one way to ensure that ill-health, frailty or disability do not rob you of the opportunity to exercise your democratic right.
As always, if you have any comments or questions about this post, please do leave them below.