Published on
17 April 2024
Postal ballot packs sent out - return as soon as possible
The first batch of ballot packs for the local election and the Police and Crime Commissioner election have been sent out
Wokingham Borough Council is encouraging residents who vote by post to return their postal ballot packs as quickly as possible.
The first batch of ballot packs for the local election and the Police and Crime Commissioner election on Thursday 2 May have been sent out to those who registered. The final batch of postal votes will be sent on Thursday 25 April.
The arrival of your postal vote will depend on how recently you have applied. However, the council usually sends these by first class post about two weeks before polling day.
If you are a postal voter, once you receive your ballot packs, you should fill out the required information as instructed and return them as soon as possible using a Royal Mail post box.
If you miss the post, you can hand it in at the Council Offices, Shute End, Wokingham (during office hours) or your polling station on election day. Choosing to hand in your postal vote will mean that you must complete an additional form with an authorised member of staff. If you do not, your postal vote will be rejected.
The postal vote pack will include:
- Your ballot paper(s)
- Two envelopes
- A declaration form
Follow the instructions, mark your ballot paper and sign and give your date of birth on the declaration form.
Put everything in the pre-addressed envelope and sent it to our local elections team in order for your vote to be counted. You do not need to put a stamp on the envelope.
If the ballot paper is spoilt, don’t throw any part of the ballot paper pack away. Instead, return it to the council’s electoral services team and replacements can be issued up to 5pm on polling day.
For all elections, there will now be restrictions on the handling of postal votes. Voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs (in addition to their own). Political parties and campaigners will be banned from handling postal vote packs.
Postal vote applications will now be valid for three years – previously five years – but current postal voters do not need to re-apply and will be contacted by January 2026.
For more information, contact the council’s electoral services team by email, or call (0118) 974 6000.
