The Government's Election Act 2022 has introduced a number of changes to how you apply for a postal vote and how you return your postal vote.
You can now apply for a postal vote online. It's the quick and easy way to make sure you're ready to vote in the general election on 4 July 2024 and elections to come.
If you cannot apply online, contact elections@rugby.gov.uk and we can help.
The changes include a requirement to reapply for a postal vote after three years. Voters who held a postal vote before 31 October 2023 do not need to reapply before 31 January 2026. The council notifies postal voters before votes expire.
You can return your postal vote in the pre-paid envelope included via the Royal Mail. Make sure you post your vote in plenty of time before polling day.
Anyone hand delivering postal votes at the Town Hall or a polling station MUST complete and sign a postal vote return form provided by an authorised officer.
Postal vote return forms require you to provide your name and address, and confirm:
The number of postal votes you can hand deliver has now been limited to your postal vote and no more than five more postal/postal proxy votes.
IMPORTANT - if you fail to complete your postal vote return form with all the relevant information, or to the authorised officer's satisfaction, we have to reject your vote/s.
Rejected postal votes cannot be included in the election count.
If you fail to complete a postal vote return form (or fail to provide all relevant information to the satisfaction of the authorised officer) when you hand deliver your vote, you'll be contacted by the Election Registration Officer after the election, explaining the reasons for rejecting your vote.
The new rules have extended the secrecy requirements at polling stations to postal votes.
The change means it has become an offence to try and find out how someone has voted when completing a postal vote, or to communicate how a postal voter has voted.
Anyone found guilty of breaching the secrecy requirements could face a fine or up to six months in prison.
The Government's Election Act 2022 placed a ban on political campaigners handling postal votes from polls taking place on 2 May 2024 onwards.
Only the following exceptions apply:
The Government's legislation defines a political campaigner as:
If found guilty of handling postal votes as a political campaigner, you could face a fine or up to two years in prison.
Please note - the ban does not apply to handling postal vote applications.
However, political campaigners should follow the guidance issued by the Electoral Commission for handling postal vote application forms.