Changes to Postal Voting Rules – Action May Be Required

The maximum length of time a voter can hold a postal vote changed following the Elections Act 2022, from indefinitely to a maximum of three years. Postal voters can still register to vote by post for a particular poll or for a shorter period, but they can no longer hold a postal vote until further notice. The expiry date is now the third 31st January after the postal vote was approved.

This means that the postal vote for any elector that was approved before the 30 January 2024, will expire on the 31 January 2026. The Elections Team will be contacting any affected electors to advise them on how to reapply.

Update – November 2025

Around 5,000 South Derbyshire electors have now been contacted by the Elections Team by email, advising that they need to reapply for their postal vote before 31 January 2026.

✉️ Electors without an email address will receive letters from 3 December 2025.

If you don’t reapply before the deadline, your postal vote will be cancelled, and you will need to vote in person at a polling station.

🗳️ Reapply now at: Apply for a postal vote - GOV.UK

If you need to reapply, you can do so online at www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. It’s straightforward to do and just takes a few minutes. You’ll need to know your National Insurance number and be able to take a photograph of your signature.

If you are not able to apply online, you can print a paper form from the Gov.uk website www.gov.uk/government/publications/apply-for-a-postal-vote, or contact the Electoral Services Office to request a form.

If you are asked to reapply but don’t do so by the 31 January 2026, your postal vote will be cancelled. You will remain on the Electoral Register but will have to vote in person at your Polling Station for future elections.

If you’d like a postal vote later, you can make an application at that time.

4 November 2025