The way you apply for a postal vote has changed. Postal voters must now renew their postal vote every three years.
If a new application is not received by the Electoral Registration Officer by the deadline stated in your correspondence, they are required by law, to cancel the postal vote.
Reminders
Affected postal voters will be contacted asking them to reapply for their postal vote as soon as possible.
We send an email to all electors we hold an email address for.
If we do not hold an email, you will get a letter which will contain information on what to do next.
If you are worried if the email is genuine you can spot a genuine email from us by:
- looking at the email title which will be, Havering Election Services - Postal Vote Reapplication - Action Required
- checking the sending email address is elections@havering.gov.uk
Some members of the same household may be contacted in different ways depending on whether we have an email address or not.
Please help us by responding as soon as possible.
Reapply for a postal vote
You can reapply online by clicking the 'Apply for a postal vote' button below.
As part of your application, you will be required to provide your:
- date of birth
- National Insurance Number
- an upload of a clear photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.
If you are unable to complete your application online you can download a paper application form.
You can also request a paper application form by emailing elections@havering.gov.uk or by calling us on 01708 432444.
Providing a consistent signature
If you are unable to provide a signature or a consistent signature but still want to vote by post, you can apply for a postal vote without giving your signature. You will be required to provide a reason why you are unable to provide a consistent signature.
If you have had help completing the application, that person will be required to supply their details.
If you prefer to complete a paper application, please contact us by phone or email and request a waiver declaration to be sent to you.
The waiver declaration needs to be returned with your postal vote application form.
Uploading a signature online
Find out how to upload your signature.
Finding your national insurance number
You must prove your identity as part of the application process.
Your National Insurance Number (NINO) will be verified against records held by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).
If this identity check fails, you must provide evidence of your identity.
Get help to find your National Insurance number.
If you are unable to provide your national insurance number, you'll need to provide some documents so that we can confirm your identity.
Cancelling a postal vote
Cancellation of postal votes must be made in writing, and this can be done by email to elections@havering.gov.uk or by letter to:
Election Services
Town Hall
Main Road
Romford
RM1 3BD
Your correspondence must include your full name and address.
Be aware that if you are no longer a postal voter, you now need to take an accepted form of photo ID with you to vote in a polling station.
For more information visit the voter ID page on the Electoral Commission website.
Personal identifiers and how they are used
On your application to vote by post you must provide your date of birth and signature, these are your “personal identifiers”.
When you vote by post you are required to complete and return a statement giving your personal identifiers.
These are then checked against those you gave on your application to check that they match.
If they do not match, your vote will not be counted and your postal vote rejected.
This is a security measure to prevent someone else from using your vote.