Voting by post

Did you renew your postal vote?

Under the Elections Act 2022, postal votes are now valid for up to three years.

Anyone granted their postal vote on or before 30 January 2024 had to renew their postal vote by 31 January 2026.

We contacted affected postal voters by post or e-mail between July and December 2025. Our communication invited them to make a new postal vote application.

If we did not receive a new application by 31 January 2026, the postal vote has been cancelled.

During February 2026, we will send a Notice of Removal of Postal Vote to affected electors. We will contact them either:

• by e-mail (if we have an e-mail address), or
• by letter (if we do not have an e-mail address). 

We may contact different people at the same address in these two different ways. 

The Notice of Removal of Postal Vote will tell the elector their postal vote has been cancelled. To vote at future elections, those electors will need to either:

• vote in person at a polling station, or
• make a new application to vote by post or by proxy.

Apply for a postal vote

During elections, the deadline for applications is 5pm, 11 working days before polling day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, Good Friday and bank holidays). If you already have a postal vote for all elections, you only need to reapply if your details have changed (moved house or changed your name).

Most electors can apply for most types of absent vote online.Apply online for a postal vote

When you apply, please ensure there is enough time to receive and return your ballot paper by polling day. We must receive your postal vote at our office or a polling station by the close of poll (10pm on polling day). If we receive your postal vote after 10pm on polling day, your vote will not be counted.

The deadline for applications is 5pm, 11 working days before polling day. This excludes Saturdays, Sundays, Good Friday and any other bank holiday.

At election time, we will send you a postal voter poll card confirming that you have a postal vote.

Postal votes are usually sent out 10 working days before the date of the election. Please see our paragraph below When will my postal vote arrive?

If you have not received your postal vote or have spoilt it, please contact us.

A replacement can be issued from our electoral services office up until 5pm on polling day. You will need to provide proof of identity to collect your replacement postal vote.

By law, you can’t sign an application on behalf of another elector, even if you have Power of Attorney.

If we send you a postal vote, you cannot vote in person at a polling station.

For more information, please go to the Electoral Commission website.

Please note: If you already have a postal vote for all elections and referendums, you do not need to reapply. If in doubt, please contact us to check. 

If you cannot sign your application

If you cannot sign or sign consistently, you can apply for a postal vote without signing. You will need to give a reason why you are unable to provide a consistent signature. 

If you have help completing the application, that person must supply their details.

Please contact us and ask us to send you a waiver application form. Please either e-mail voter.registration@cornwall.gov.uk or call Electoral Services on 0300 1231 115.

Identity checking

Absent vote applications must contain your date of birth and National Insurance Number (NINo). If you cannot give a National Insurance Number, you must give a reason why one cannot be provided.

We must verify your application against Department of Works and Pension (DWP) data.

If an application fails to match with DWP data, we will ask you for evidence to verify your identity. If you cannot provide evidence, you will need to submit an attestation to confirm your identity.

Maximum period for a postal vote

A postal vote can be in place for:

• a particular poll (poll held on specific date)
• a definite period of not more than 3 years
• a maximum period of up to 3 years.

Change or cancel a postal vote

The deadline for changes to an existing postal vote is also 5pm, 11 working days before polling day.

If you want to cancel your postal vote, you must do so by the above deadline. We will only accept a cancellation request:

• by post
• by e-mail
• by phone
• from the elector only. 

If we cancel your postal vote, we will write to you to tell you that you should now vote in person.

If you make a new application, this will replace your old arrangement.

To reinstate your previous absent vote, you will have to complete a new application.

When will my postal vote arrive?

We know postal voters are keen to know when their ballot pack will arrive. This will depend on:

• when your application was processed
• how long post takes to be delivered to you – particularly if your postal vote is being sent overseas.

We usually send out postal votes in two batches:

• Existing postal votes plus new applications processed before start of the election
• Newer applications processed up to the deadline for applications.

We can only print ballot papers after candidate nominations have closed. Our printers must match every ballot paper with the correct postal vote documents. It’s a complicated process which takes time. 

Postal votes sent overseas have early priority because of the time it takes for their delivery and return.

If you think you won’t be able to receive and return your postal vote by 10pm on polling day, you have two other options:

• You can hand in your postal vote to reception at New County Hall in Truro, or to your polling station on polling day. You must fill out a form when you hand it in for the vote to be valid.
• If you prefer, you can cancel your postal vote and appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf instead. You must apply by the deadline for changes to postal votes - 5pm, 11 working days before an election. Your postal vote will be cancelled if you appoint a proxy.

Handing in postal votes

During elections, a person can hand in their own postal vote plus postal votes for up to five other people. 

If you are a political party or campaigner, you can only hand in postal votes for your family members or people you provide care for. 

You can hand in your postal vote at a polling station or to the reception team at New County Hall in Truro. You will be asked to complete a form. Please note we are unable to accept postal votes at any other Council offices.

If the postal vote return form is not satisfactorily completed, the postal vote(s) will be rejected. Postal votes posted through a letterbox at  New County Hall will be rejected.

Find out more on the Electoral Commission website.

How your personal identifiers are used

Your “personal identifiers” are your signature and date of birth.  You must provide these on your application to vote by post (unless you have a signature waiver) .

When you vote at an election, you must complete and return a statement including your personal identifiers.

We will then check that they match those you gave on your original application. This is a security measure to prevent someone else from using your vote.

If the identifiers do not match, your vote must be rejected and not counted. 

We will keep your ballot paper separate, so no-one knows how you have voted.