Published on Thursday 09 April 2026
Residents who want to vote by post in the 2026 Town Council elections taking place next month, must submit their postal vote application by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April.
On Thursday 7 May, Town Council elections will be taking place in Bournemouth, Broadstone and Poole. The 21 April deadline applies to new applications for a postal vote as well as any changes to existing postal voting arrangements.
Individuals must be registered to vote before you can apply to vote by post. The quickest and easiest way to apply for a postal vote is online at https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
You will need to provide your National Insurance number (or other documentary evidence) as part of your application so your identity can be checked, along with a copy of your signature.
Application forms can be sent to the council by:
- Emailing a clear scan or photograph of the application form to elections@bcpcouncil.gov.uk
- Posting to:
Electoral Services
BCP Council Civic Centre
Bourne Avenue
Bournemouth
BH2 6DY
Postal voting packs will be sent out on Monday 20 April to voters who applied by midday on Wednesday 8 April. Applications received between midday on Wednesday 8 April and the deadline on Tuesday 21 April will have their packs dispatched on Friday 24 April.
If you miss the post, completed postal vote packs can only be returned by hand to the BCP Council Customer Contact Centre on St Stephens Road, Bournemouth (during office hours) or to an authorised officer at a polling station on polling day.
You must complete a short form for any postal vote(s) you hand in, and you may only return your own postal vote and up to five others.
Matt Pitcher, Head of Electoral Services at BCP Council said:
“If you think you may not be able to vote in person, we urge you to consider setting up a postal voting arrangement before the deadline on Tuesday 21 April.
“You do not need to give a reason to vote by post, and you can choose to set up a postal voting arrangement for a single election or for the maximum period of up to three years, making it a convenient option for future polls.
“If you are voting by post, please return your completed postal vote using a Royal Mail post box in plenty of time to ensure it reaches us by polling day.”
Given the anticipated high volume of applications for postal votes, the council advises people to make their applications as soon as possible.
For further information and advice call 01202 123400.