Don’t lose your postal ballot – act now!

4 November 2025

Voters are being urged to act now – if they don’t want to lose their postal vote.

The Elections Act 2022 has introduced changes to the postal vote application process – which means people eligible to vote, known as electors, need to reapply before 31 January to keep their postal ballot registration.

All registered postal voters who applied for their postal vote prior to 30 January 2024 are required to make a fresh application before the 31 January 2026. A postal vote will now only be valid for a maximum of three years.

The Electoral Registration Officer has contacted affected Cheshire East electors, who are currently registered for a postal vote, to request that they re-apply for a postal vote if they still wish to vote by post. 

Eligible voters who have not re-applied for a postal vote are now being sent a further reminder by email, to let them know that they need to re-apply before 31 January 2026, or their existing postal vote will be cancelled. These emails will be sent using central government’s Gov.UK Notify communications system.

Electors can reapply for a postal vote online. The email reminder will contain further details of how to apply, along with a helpline number for any queries.

If any elector fails to respond to a postal vote reapplication notification by 31 January, they will be removed from the list of postal voters. 

More information about voting and elections is available on our elections webpages.