General election 2017: How to apply for a postal vote
Deadline for postal vote applications less than two weeks away
Time is running out to apply for a postal vote for the general election on 8 June.
The postal vote is open to anyone in England, Scotland and Wales, while voters in Northern Ireland must offer a reason for their request, which has to relate either to disability, employment or education.
You must be registered to vote to apply. For more information on registering to vote click here.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
How to apply
The deadline for applying for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 23 May, 11 days before the election.
Download, print out and fill in the application form from the Electoral Commission website and post it to your local authority (the site gives you the address if you input your postcode). Some electoral registration offices will allow you to email a scanned application form.
What happens next?
A ballot paper will be sent to the address you provided. You will need to fill it out and return it by 10pm on polling day - 8 June. A Freepost envelope is included in your postal ballot pack.
Can you vote from abroad?
Yes, of course, but you will need to pay the postage. You'll also need to send it with plenty of time to ensure it arrives before 8 June.
What if you live in a country with an unreliable postal system?
If you are worried that a postal vote pack will not make it to your address or that your vote will not make it back to the UK, it is advisable to apply for a proxy vote, where someone else votes for you.
You will need to download the proxy voting application form and either post it to your polling station or scan and email it to the appropriate address, which can be found online via the Electoral Commission website.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
Gaetz bows out, Trump pivots to Pam Bondi
Speed Read Gaetz withdrew from attorney generation consideration, making way for longtime Trump loyalist Pam Bondi
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
'The double standards don't trouble the critics'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Today's political cartoons - November 22, 2024
Cartoons Friday's cartoons - frozen assets, blazing fires, and more
By The Week US Published
-
John Prescott: was he Labour's last link to the working class?
Today's Big Quesiton 'A total one-off': tributes have poured in for the former deputy PM and trade unionist
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Last hopes for justice for UK's nuclear test veterans
Under the Radar Thousands of ex-service personnel say their lives have been blighted by aggressive cancers and genetic mutations
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
Will Donald Trump wreck the Brexit deal?
Today's Big Question President-elect's victory could help UK's reset with the EU, but a free-trade agreement with the US to dodge his threatened tariffs could hinder it
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is the next Tory leader up against?
Today's Big Question Kemi Badenoch or Robert Jenrick will have to unify warring factions and win back disillusioned voters – without alienating the centre ground
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
What is Lammy hoping to achieve in China?
Today's Big Question Foreign secretary heads to Beijing as Labour seeks cooperation on global challenges and courts opportunities for trade and investment
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Is Britain about to 'boil over'?
Today's Big Question A message shared across far-right groups listed more than 30 potential targets for violence in the UK today
By Sorcha Bradley, The Week UK Published
-
UK's Starmer slams 'far-right thuggery' at riots
Speed Read The anti-immigrant violence was spurred by false rumors that the suspect in the Southport knife attack was an immigrant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
How could J.D. Vance impact the special relationship?
Today's Big Question Trump's hawkish pick for VP said UK is the first 'truly Islamist country' with a nuclear weapon
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published