A TOTAL of 18,000 existing postal voters in Reading will need to re-apply for their postal vote this year, Reading Borough Council has announced.
It come as a result of changes introduced in the Elections Act 2022, which mean that all postal voters are now required to reapply for their postal vote every three years.
All postal voters who made their current application before October 31, 2023, are required to reapply for their postal vote by January 31, next year.
If a new application is not received by this date, the electoral registration officer is required by law to cancel the postal vote and electors will have to vote at a polling station until a new postal vote application is received, or a proxy is appointed.
Reading Borough Council’s election team is starting the postal vote re-application process now, giving electors plenty of time to re-apply for their postal vote before the next scheduled election takes place in May next year.
Electoral Services have this week begun contacting all affected electors, either by email or post, with information on the necessary steps to make a new application.
Letters will begin being sent out this week, but where the council has been provided with an email address, it will instead be sending emails to reduce both its carbon footprint and the cost of sending letters by post.
Where an elector is contacted to make a new postal vote application, they need to respond by July 21 to avoid reminders being sent.
If a new application to vote by post is not made, the current postal vote will be cancelled. For people that have not made a new application, an official removal notice letter shall be despatched in February 2026.
Electors must prove suitable identity as part of the application process. Identity will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). If this identity check fails, electors must provide evidence of their identity
Postal vote applications are now valid for a maximum period of three years and a new application must be made at the end of that time
The quickest and simplest way for electors to make an application is online via: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
Alternatively, electors can complete and return the form included in the email or letter that is being sent out to those electors required to make a new postal application.
