Postal voting

If you are unable to attend a polling station on polling day, you can vote by post.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the Leeds City Council elections to be held on Thursday 7 May 2026 is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.

Apply for a postal vote

To apply you must already be registered to vote and you will need to provide your name, address, date of birth, signature and National Insurance number (needed for identity verification purposes). If you vote by post, you are not required to provide photo ID.

Apply online

Apply online at GOV.UK

Apply by post

Download a paper application form from the Electoral Commission website

Completed paper forms need to be returned to the following address:

Electoral Services
Leeds City Council
PO Box 898
Leeds
LS1 9UT

I am unable to sign

If you are unable to sign because:   

  • of a disability or illness
  • you are unable to read or write
  • you are unable to sign in a consistent or distinctive manner

You can still apply to vote by post and waive the requirement of a signature.

If you are applying online there is an option to request this as part of the online form.

If you are applying on a paper application form, please ask someone to help you briefly detail why you need a signature waiver on the form. Where the form asks for a signature, your helper can write the word WAIVER. Return your form to Electoral Services. 

We will then send a waiver declaration form to you, for completion by a helper.

When you receive your postal vote pack, your signature will not be required on the postal vote statement. 

I am unable to provide a National Insurance number

If you are unable to provide a National Insurance number, or your National Insurance number cannot be verified, you will be asked to provide documentary evidence to process your application.

If you move house you must tell the Electoral Registration Officer immediately, or you may lose your postal vote.

Receiving your postal vote pack

Postal vote packs are usually sent out about a week before election day. Once you’ve received this, mark your vote on the ballot paper and make sure you send it back so that it arrives by close of poll (which is 10pm on election day). If it arrives later than this your vote won’t be counted.

A postal vote pack can be sent to your home address or any other address that you give. Postal vote packs can be sent overseas. You need to consider whether there will be enough time to receive and return your ballot paper by 10pm on polling day.

Timetable for issuing postal vote packs

Postal vote application in place by Postal vote pack issued by first class post on
Tuesday 7 April Monday 20 April
Between Wednesday 8 April and Tuesday 21 April Friday 24 April

These dates may be subject to slight operational change and will also rely on postal deliveries.

If your postal vote has been cancelled

If you applied for a postal vote before 30 January 2024, by law you were required to reapply by 31 January 2026. If you did not reapply, your postal vote has been cancelled.

Letters notifying electors that their postal voting arrangement has been cancelled were sent out in the week commencing 9 February 2026.

You can still:

  • vote in person at your polling station on 7 May; we will send you a poll card at the beginning of April with the details you need, or
  • reapply for a postal vote at GOV.UK by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026

If you prefer to apply using a paper application form you can download one from the Electoral Commission website, use the form sent to you with your cancellation letter, or request that one be posted out to you.

Cancelling your postal vote

If you no longer wish to vote by post, you can cancel your postal vote by sending your request in writing to:

Electoral Services
Leeds City Council
PO Box 898
Leeds
LS1 9UT

or by emailing a photograph or scanned copy of your written request to electors@leeds.gov.uk.

The request should include your full name and address, and must be hand-signed by you. Typewritten or electronic signatures will not be accepted.

Returning your postal vote

New rules mean your postal vote will be rejected if it is not returned correctly.

  1. The easiest and most convenient way to return your postal vote is by posting it in a Royal Mail postbox using the pre-paid envelope provided (envelope B).
  2. You should allow plenty of time for your postal vote to reach us through the post. It must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 10pm on polling day.
  3. If you are hand-delivering your completed postal vote, you can do this at a polling station or at the Electoral Services Office, Civic Hall, Leeds, LS1 1UR.
  4. You will need to complete a form if you hand-deliver your postal vote. The form asks for the number of postal votes you are handing in, if you are handing postal votes of other electors in, and the reason why. You will also be required to provide your name and address. Our staff will help you with this.
  5. You may hand-deliver your own and no more than 5 other postal votes per election.
  6. If you are a campaigner, you can only hand in your own postal vote, and those of close relatives or people you provide regular care for.

You cannot leave your postal vote at other council offices (including their postboxes), reception points, or a polling station desk.

Making your vote secure

When voting by post, you should mark your vote on the ballot paper in secret, and seal the envelope yourself.

You will also be asked to give your date of birth and signature when applying for a postal or proxy vote. This makes postal voting safe, because when you return your postal vote your signature and date of birth are checked against those you provided before to confirm your identity.

Your signature and date of birth are separated from your ballot paper before it is looked at or counted, so giving this information will not affect the secrecy of your vote.

Completing your postal vote for an election

You will receive instructions with your ballot paper, but there are some important things to remember.

You can:

  • use any pen or pencil as long as writing will be clear and visible after the document is scanned
  • send ballot papers and statements in the same envelope
  • post the documents separately - we will match them up when they arrive
  • open up and tape the envelope together if you accidentally seal the envelope without completing all the details
  • use your own envelope when sending your ballot back, but it must be marked A or B

It is okay to make a mistake and you can alter your ballot paper with the correct vote as long as your intention is clear. Do not initial any of the changes.

We will not send you a new ballot paper if you post it back after making an error or if one of the envelopes is missing.

Watch a short video on how to complete your postal vote.

List of possible mistakes

If you think you have made a mistake to your postal vote, read the points below before requesting a replacement pack.

We may still accept the postal vote you have completed.

You do not need to request a replacement if you have:

  • used blue pen
  • put the ballot paper or postal voting statement into the wrong envelope
  • sealed the envelope but forgotten to include one of the documents. You can open the envelope and reseal using sellotape

You do not need to request a replacement for any of the following:

My pack is missing an envelope or both envelopes

You can use any envelope and write the return address on the envelope. If using a window envelope, ensure the return address is showing.

The date I included on the statement is today's date instead of my date of birth

You can cross through the date and insert your date of birth in a space near to the boxes for your date of birth.

My partner signed my postal voting statement and I signed theirs

You can cross through the signature, inserting your own in an appropriate space near to the signature box.

I already have a postal vote, but you have asked me to reapply

Postal votes are only valid for a maximum of 3 years. If you previously had a postal vote ‘until further notice’, we will write to you when you need to reapply.

If you need additional help then call the helpline number shown on your postal vote pack.

Information we will hold about you

We have a statutory obligation to retain certain information about you. To find out more detail about this, read our privacy notice.