Postal voting is available in England, Scotland and Wales on request, for all elections. You do not need to give any reason for wanting a postal vote.
You can apply to vote by post for a particular election, a set period of time or for all future elections. You can also vote by post if you are abroad on election day. But you must be registered to vote first.
Find out more by watching the Electoral Commission's 'voting by post' video on YouTube.
New rules for handling postal votes
The following rules will apply for the Police and Crime Commissioner and Local Elections on Thursday 2 May 2024. We recommend that postal votes are returned to us via Royal Mail as soon as possible before polling day.
- There will be a limit on the number of postal votes a person can hand in at a polling station or at the council offices
- You will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs for other electors plus your own (six in total)
- If a person hands in more than five postal ballot packs for other electors, all the postal votes (other than their own) will be rejected
- Anyone handing in postal votes will need to complete a ‘return of postal voting documents’ form
- We can no longer accept postal votes left in the letterbox at the council offices
- Any postal votes which are left at any council building without the ‘return of postal voting documents’ form being completed will be rejected
Postal vote application form
You can apply for a postal vote online using the postal vote application form on the Electoral Commission website. There are also paper applications that you can download and return to the Electoral Services Department using the contact details below.
If you require a paper application posting to you, please call 01733 452 249 or email electoralservices@peterborough.gov.uk.
Postal vote application form guidance
- Enter your full names, address, national insurance number and contact details.
- Confirm if you would like a permanent postal vote (up to three years), whether you require a postal vote for a specific date of if you require a postal vote for a certain time period.
- If you will be away from home, then you can choose to have your ballot papers sent to an alternative address. You must state the reason for needing your ballot papers to be sent to an alternative address.
- You must enter your date of birth in the format DD/MM/YYYY and then sign the form. Please note that your date of birth and signature must be kept within the borders provided. Failure to do this may invalidate your postal vote statement,
- Please date the completed application.
Please note: If you apply for postal vote, a council officer may hand deliver the voting pack and conduct a face to face survey with you to stress the importance of completing the vote yourself. They may also visit after you have submitted your postal vote to ask whether you personally completed the ballot paper.
Contact details
The Electoral Services Department
Peterborough City Council
Town Hall
Bridge Street
Peterborough
PE1 1GF
Phone: 01733 452249