Postal voting

If you are unable to attend a polling station on polling day, you can vote by post.

Postal votes can be sent from anywhere, inside or outside the United Kingdom.

If you vote by post, you are not required to provide photo ID.

If the address is outside the UK, it will take time to reach you and for you to return it in order for your vote to be counted.

Apply to vote by post

Apply online

Apply online to vote by post through GOV.UK

Apply by post

Get the application to vote by post through the Electoral Commission website

Completed forms need to be returned to the following address:

Electoral Services
Leeds City Council
PO Box 898
Leeds
LS1 9UT

Renewing existing postal vote applications

The way you apply for a postal vote has changed. Voters must now renew their postal votes every three years. 

If you applied for a postal vote before 31 October 2023, your postal vote will expire on 31 January 2026. 

We are contacting all affected postal voters now to ask them to re-apply for their postal vote as soon as possible.

The quickest and easiest way to renew is to reapply for a postal vote online.

Why we are getting in touch now

The Elections Act 2022 introduced changes to the way people apply for a postal vote for applications received from 31 October 2023:

  • 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). If this identity check fails, the applicant must provide evidence of their identity
  • postal votes are now valid for a maximum of 3 years

All postal voters, who applied before 31 October 2023, must re-apply for their postal vote by 31 January 2026 to remain a postal voter.

We currently have over 156,000 voters who need to re-apply, so we have started the renewal process early to allow voters time to re-apply and The Electoral Registration Team time to process the applications in advance of any scheduled elections.

Anyone who does not respond to this request will receive another invitation, closer to the postal vote expiry date of 31 January 2026. If they do not re-apply by the expiry date the postal vote will be cancelled.

How we will contact you

Leeds City Council have sent an email to all affected postal voters who have provided us with their email address.  This email is to advise postal voters that they must reapply for their postal vote before 31st January 2026. The quickest and easiest way to reapply for a postal vote application is online on the GOV.UK website. 

Postal voters for whom we do not hold an email address will receive an invitation to renew their postal vote by post from April 2025.

If you have received an email, but another member of your household has not received the email, it will be because we do not hold an email address for them, but they can still complete the postal vote application form, they do not need to wait for the letter/email.

So that you can spot a genuine email from us, the email title will be "Your postal voting arrangement is due to expire - action required" and the sender is electoral.services.leeds.city.council@notifications.service.gov.uk.

If you are hesitant about clicking on the link contained within the email you can visit the government website detailed above to reapply for your postal vote.

If you are unable to complete your application online, you can download an application form on the GOV.UK website.

The next scheduled local government elections in Leeds will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026.
 

Returning your postal vote pack

New rules mean your postal vote will be rejected if it is not returned correctly.

  1. The easiest and most convenient way to return your postal vote is by posting it in a Royal Mail post box using the pre-paid envelope provided (envelope B).
  2. You should allow plenty of time for your postal vote to reach us through the post. It must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 10pm on polling day.
  3. If you are hand delivering your completed postal vote, you can do this at a polling station or at the Electoral Services Office, Civic Hall, Leeds LS1 1UR.
  4. You will need to complete a form if you hand deliver your postal vote. The form asks for the number of postal votes you are handing in, if you are handing postal votes of other electors in and the reason why. You will also be required to provide your name and address. Our staff will help you with this.
  5. You may hand deliver your own and no more than 5 other postal votes per election.
  6. If you are a campaigner, you can only hand in your own postal vote, and those of close relatives or people you provide regular care for.
You cannot leave your postal vote at other council offices (including their post boxes), reception points, or a polling station desk.
Making your vote secure

When voting by post, you should mark your vote on the ballot paper in secret, and seal the envelope yourself.           

You will also be asked to give your date of birth and signature when applying for a postal or proxy vote. This makes postal voting safe, because when you return your postal voting pack your signature and date of birth are checked against those you provided before to confirm your identity.           

Your signature and date of birth are separated from your ballot paper before it is looked at or counted, so giving this information will not affect the secrecy of your vote.

Completing your postal vote for an election

You will receive instructions with your ballot paper, but there are some important things to remember.           

You can:

  • use any pen or pencil as long as it would be clear and visible after the document is scanned
  • send ballot papers and statements in the same envelope
  • post the documents separately - we will match them up when they arrive
  • open up and tape the envelope together if you accidentally seal the envelope without completing all the details
  • use your own envelope when sending your ballot back, but it must be marked A or B

It is okay to make a mistake and you can alter your ballot paper with the correct vote as long as your intention is clear. Do not initial any of the changes.           

We will not send you a new ballot paper if you post it back after making an error or one of the envelopes is missing.           

 

Watch a short video on how to complete your postal vote.

List of possible mistakes

If you think you have made a mistake to your postal vote, read the points below before requesting a replacement pack.

We may still accept the pack you have completed.

You do not need to request a replacement if you have:

  • used blue pen
  • put the ballot paper or postal voting statement into the wrong envelope
  • sealed the envelope but forgotten to include one of the documents. You can open the envelope and reseal using Sellotape

You do not need to request a replacement for any of the following:

My pack is missing an envelope or both envelopes
You can use any envelope and write the return address on the envelope. If using a window envelope ensure the return address is showing.

The date I’ve included on the statement is today's date instead of my date of birth
You can cross through the date and insert your date of birth in a space near to the boxes for your date of birth.

My partner has signed my postal voting statement and I have signed theirs
You can cross through the signature, inserting your own in an appropriate space near to the signature box.

If you need additional help then call the helpline number shown on your pack.

To apply you must already be registered to vote and you will need to provide your date of birth and signature on the application form.

Information we will hold about you

We have a statutory obligation to retain certain information about you. To find out more detail about this, read our privacy notice.