Postal vote
If you are unable to get to a polling station on election day you can register in advance for a postal vote.
Current application deadline
The current deadline to apply for a postal vote for the District and Parish Elections on 4 May 2023 is Tuesday 18 April.
Apply for a postal vote
You can apply for a postal vote at any time. The deadline for returning forms is 5pm 11 working days before polling day.
You can apply for a postal vote through the downloadable form on the Electoral Commission website. You will need to return it to us when you have completed the form. We are unable to accept forms with electronic signatures on - you must have signed a paper form by hand.
Returning your application form
When you have completed the postal vote application form and signed it by hand (we cannot accept forms with electronic signatures), you should return it us as soon as possible.
By post or by hand
The Elections Unit
Ashfield District Council
Council Offices
Urban Road
Kirkby in Ashfield
Nottingham
NG17 8DA
By email
You can scan and email the completed document to regelec@ashfield.gov.uk.
How does postal voting work?
Once you are registered for a postal vote and an election has been called you will receive a postal vote pack in the post.
This will arrive with you around 3 weeks before an election. Keep it in a safe place and don't let anyone else handle it or pick it up.
When you're ready to vote:
- read the instructions
- complete the ballot form
- sign and seal.
You should post your ballot pack to us yourself if you can. If you are unable to, ask someone you trust to post it to us.
You should post it back to arrive with us before the close of poll, which is 10pm on polling day. If you miss the chance to post it in time you can take it to your polling station or deliver it by hand to the council's Kirkby in Ashfield office on polling on day. This is the address listed on your return envelope.
Any postal votes received after the close of poll, or at other council offices, won’t be counted.
Absent vote signature matching
Your signature on your postal ballet is matched to the one you provided on your original registration. This is to make sure no-one else is using your vote. If they don't match, your vote won't be counted.
Your ballot is kept separate from your signature so no-one knows how you voted.
As circumstances and signatures change over time we'll write to you every 5 years to get an updated signature for our records. We carry out the refresh every year by 31 January. We'll write to you if you're due to renew.
Ways to contact us about postal voting
If you have a question about postal voting you can contact us by:
- online form
- email: regelec@ashfield.gov.uk
- telephone: 01623 457 321.