Postal Voting
How Postal Voting Works
Postal voting is available on request to any registered elector. To set up a postal vote the elector will need to complete a postal vote application form. A postal vote can be sent to the elector's home address or to an address where they will be at the time of an election. However, for security reasons, electors must give a reason on their application form if they ask for their postal votes to be sent to another address.
A postal vote can be set up on a permanent basis, temporarily for a specific election or for a specified period (e.g. while a student is away at university). If you have a postal vote and move house you will need to re-register to change your address on the electoral register and then complete a new application to vote by post for the new address.
Apply to Vote by Post
Postal vote application forms are available to download from the the Electoral Commission website or can be requested by emailing electoral@lincoln.gov.uk. Once the form has been completed with a ‘wet ink’ signature, it can be returned in paper form, or as an email attachment.
If you are submitting an application to vote by post at a particular election, ensure you allow sufficient time for any postal vote application forms to reach us, particularly if you are posting your forms. For postal and proxy forms, you can also scan them and return as an email attachment to electoral@lincoln.gov.uk.
If you are not yet registered to vote, you can apply online.
At election time, when you are sent your postal voting pack, it will contain a postal voting statement form which you must complete with your date of birth and signature, and an envelope in which to place your marked ballot paper. For your vote to be counted, you must return both the postal voting statement form and the ballot paper. Your ballot paper must be sealed in envelope A and the postal voting statement along with the sealed envelope A need to both be placed in Envelope B.
Voting from Overseas
If you want the postal vote to be sent to an overseas address, you should be confident that the postal services can deliver it to you and return it to the relevant election office in the UK so that it arrives by the date of the election, so that it can be counted. If you are not sure that this can be done, the best idea might be to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf at the polling station in the UK for the address at which you are registered, or to which you are linked if you are an overseas elector (your ‘qualifying address’).
Please note that once you have been sent a postal ballot paper you will not be able to vote in person.
Lost/Spoilt Postal Voting Papers
Anyone shown as a postal voter for a particular election will not be allowed to vote in person at a polling station, even if their postal vote has not arrived. Replacements for lost or spoilt postal voting papers can be issued from 5 working days before an election up until 5pm on election day. In these circumstances, voters will be asked to produce proof of identity and may need to collect any replacement postal voting papers from the City of Lincoln Council, City Hall, Beaumont Fee.