Renew your postal vote

Postal votes are only valid for a maximum of 3 years.

If you want to continue to vote by post, you must renew your postal voting arrangement by making a new application.

We are contacting all affected postal voters to ask them to renew for their postal vote as soon as possible.

How to renew your postal vote

You can renew your postal vote on GOV.UK by making a new application. You can do this for either:

• a single election on a specific date
• a specific period
• the maximum period (three years)

You can also renew by completing a paper form for a postal vote.

Paper application forms can be sent to us by:

• email at elections@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
• post to
  Electoral Services
  BCP Council Civic Centre
  Bourne Avenue
  Bournemouth
  BH2 6DY

Changes to application form 

The Elections Act 2022 introduced a change to the information you will need to give when making a postal vote application, for example:

• all postal vote applications must contain the applicant's name, address, date of birth, national insurance number and signature*
• the applicant's identity must be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
• postal votes are now valid for a maximum of 3 years

*If you are unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature (due to a disability or inability to read or write). You can contact us to ask for a signature wavier.

How we will contact you

If you have provided us with an email address, we have already sent you an email telling you to reapply online.

So that you can spot a genuine email from us, the email:

• title will be 'Postal Vote Reapplication'
• will be from an email address ending in @bcpcouncil.gov.uk

You will receive a paper form by post in October 2025, if you:

• do not renew online
• have not provided us with an email address

How to cancel your postal vote

If you want to cancel your postal vote, you will have to tell us:

• your full name and address
• that you no longer want to vote by post

You can send this to us by completing our online form.

You will only be able to cancel your postal vote up to 11 working days before an election takes place.