Running electoral registration - England

You must identify the numbers of domestic postal voters whose longer term arrangement will reach the end of the maximum period allowed on the 31 January each year.1  

You must notify those postal voters identified: 

• when their current arrangement will end2  
• that if wish to continue to vote by post, they will need submit a new postal vote application3

Timing of sending postal vote re-application notifications

Where the postal voting arrangement of a domestic postal voter or a proxy who votes by post has been made for the maximum period, it will end if a new application is not made by the third 31 January following the date on which the application was determined. 

For example, if an elector’s application was determined on 1 February 2024, the elector’s postal vote arrangement will last for the full 3 years and cease on the third 31 January following its determination date, i.e. 31 January 2027.

If an elector’s application was determined on 1 April 2024, the maximum period the elector’s postal vote arrangement would last is up to the third 31 January following its determination date, i.e. 31 January 2027. 

You must inform those postal voters whose arrangement is ending on 31 January of any given year of the need to reapply. You must do this before the date their arrangement ends.4  

The legislation does not provide a timeframe for sending the notice, but to ensure sufficient time for electors to respond to the notification and submit a new application before their current postal voting arrangement ends, allowing a period of around six weeks would be reasonable. 

After three weeks of the date of the original notification, if no reply is received, you may choose to send a reminder. Whilst there is no requirement to send a reminder notice doing so may minimise the risk of a postal vote arrangement ceasing inadvertently if the original notice has not been received. 

The signature refresh process for proxies will likely coincide with the sending of notifications as this also needs to be concluded by 31 January each year. You may therefore be able to manage the write out and follow up to all absent voters as one exercise.

Method for sending postal vote re-application notifications

You can determine the method for sending the postal vote re-application notices – either by email or by post. 

When determining which contact method to use, you should think about how to ensure electors have as much chance as possible to respond and continue their postal vote arrangement.

You may determine that a combination of email and postal contact will be an efficient use of your resources.  For example, you may decide to send the initial notification by email and follow up where there is no response with a postal reminder.

Where you decide to send notifications by email, you should ensure that you have thought about:

• any data protection implications on using email addresses for this purpose
• how accurate and up to date the contact data you hold is and how you will manage any undelivered or bounce back emails 
• how you will ensure that electors will know that e-communications you send are genuine, so they can be confident in responding accordingly

However you decide to send the reapplication notices, you should keep a record of the name of each person you have sent a notification to, the method in which it was sent, the email address/address to which you sent it, and the date of the notification. 

Overseas electors – requirement to re-apply or refresh absent voting arrangements 

The process for overseas electors who have absent voting arrangements will be linked to their electoral registration. They will be required to re-apply for their postal vote in line with when they renew their registration.