6th November 2023
As of the 31st October, the Elections Act 2022 has introduced new postal and proxy vote regulations, along with an online service for applying for an absent vote.
Under these regulations, individuals who wish to vote by post will need to reapply for their postal vote every three years.
Additionally, there will be restrictions on the number of people a person can act as a proxy for, with a maximum of four, and no more than two being ‘domestic’ electors.
To enhance the application process, similar to the Register to Vote process, an applicant’s National Insurance Number (or other relevant data) will now be verified for all absent vote applications.
To accommodate this change, there is a transitional period allowing electors with existing postal or proxy arrangements to adjust and reapply under the new rules.
Moreover, a new digital service has been launched today on GOV.UK, enabling electors to apply for a postal or proxy vote online. Although paper applications will still be available, this launch provides electors with an alternative application route. Click here to take a look.
For inquiries regarding the secondary legislation or the new digital service, please reach out to EIPBusinessChange@levellingup.gov.uk.