Voting by post or proxy


Voting by post
 

1 May 2025 Derbyshire County Council Elections
 

Postal Vote Packs will be despatched by first class post from our external print contractors on Monday 14th April 2025.

Please refer to the following guidance below regarding the return of postal votes

Do's
Don’t's
  • Complete and return your postal vote early
     
  • Put your postal vote into a Royal Mail post-box
     
  • You may hand your sealed postal vote pack directly to a member of the Elections Team.

(if handing in rather than posting, you will be required to complete a postal vote return form)
  • Leave any postal vote at reception
     
  • Return any postal vote via the internal mail system
     
  • Place any postal vote directly into the Elections Box in the post-room
     
  • Put any postal vote into either of the external mailboxes at the Civic Offices

Your postal vote will be rejected and not counted if you do not follow this guidance.

Please contact one of the team on 595723 / 595728 / 595875 or by email to elections@southderbyshire.gov.uk if you want further information.
 

Applying for a postal vote

If you are unable to go to your polling station on election day, you can apply online for a postal vote.

APPLY FOR A POSTAL VOTE 

For further information contact: elections@southderbyshire.gov.uk or speak to a member of the Electoral Services team on: 01283 595875 / 595728 / 595723

Returning my postal vote

What if I’m away before my vote is likely to arrive?

If you applied for a postal vote and don’t think you’ll be home to return it by post before Thursday 1st May 2025, you can hand your completed postal vote pack in to your polling station. You must complete a form when you hand it in.

If you won’t be back in time to use your postal vote, you can instead appoint someone you trust as a proxy to vote on your behalf. You will need to:

  • cancel your postal vote by 5:00pm on 14th April 2025. This will happen automatically when you appoint a proxy, but you can contact us to talk about other options to cancel.
  • make a proxy application by 5:00pm on 23rd April 2025.

The person you appoint as a proxy must:

  • be a registered elector who can vote in this election.
  • be a proxy for up to two electors living in the UK only.

Your proxy can:

  • vote in person on your behalf at your polling station. They will have to show their own accepted form of photo ID to be able to vote, or
  • vote by post for you but must apply for a proxy postal vote by 5:00pm on 14th April 2025.

Why isn’t my postal vote sent out as soon as I apply?

Postal vote packs are produced off site by a specialist printing company and contain the ballot paper and a personalised postal vote statement for each elector. Candidate nominations close at 4:00pm on 2nd April 2025, so ballot papers can only be finalised and sent to print after that.

Due to this very short timeframe, the printing company send the postal vote packs out in two batches, rather than individually as applications are received.


Voting by Proxy

A proxy vote is when you appoint another registered elector to attend and vote on your behalf at the polling station on election day.

The latest you can apply for a proxy vote is six working days before an election. In cases where there is an unforeseen illness after the six-day deadline, applications can be made up to 5pm on election day.

You can apply to vote by proxy for:

  • a particular election only (a poll held on a specific date)
  • a definite or indefinite period (for overseas or service personnel electors)
  • a definite or indefinite period (due to disability, employment or service)

You can apply to vote by proxy online by clicking the button below:

APPLY FOR A PROXY VOTE 

For further information contact: elections@southderbyshire.gov.uk or speak to a member of the Electoral Services team on: 01283 595875 / 595728 / 595723