If your postal vote is lost or damaged

If you’ve been granted a postal vote and the voting deadline has passed, you can’t go and vote in person - instead you must use the postal vote that has been sent to you.

If your postal vote has been lost, stolen or damaged, or spoilt, there are certain rules and deadlines which apply regarding obtaining a replacement.

Your vote has been lost or you haven’t received it

If all or part of your postal vote has been lost, or if you have not received it, it is possible to get a replacement. This replacement can’t be issued until 4 working days before polling day. On or after this date, you can collect a replacement postal vote from the election office, or by having it posted out to you. You’ll be required to complete a declaration confirming that you’ve lost or not received the postal vote. If you collect the postal vote in person, you’ll need to provide identification. If following the reissue of a replacement postal vote you find or receive the original, you should throw it away; it will have been cancelled and won’t be counted even if it’s returned to us.

You’ve spoiled or damaged your postal vote

If you spoil or damage all or part of your postal vote, you can also get a replacement by returning the original postal vote pack. We’ll then be able to issue a replacement. The postal vote can be posted out to you, or you can collect a replacement postal vote from the election office. A declaration will need to be completed and if the postal vote is collected in person, you will need some ID.

A replacement on the grounds of a postal vote being spoilt or damaged can be requested at any time once the postal vote has been received. If, however, you do not have the postal vote anymore, for example if you have thrown it away, you will need to wait until 4 working days before polling day, as it we can then treat it as lost” and replace it.