Council and democracy

All registered electors can now vote by post on demand.  Instead of voting in the traditional way at your local polling station, you will be sent your ballot paper(s) either to your home or another specified address, for you to complete and post back to us. When you complete the postal vote application form please indicate the amount of time you wish to have the postal vote in force for, and for which elections.

Ballot papers can be sent to addresses both in the UK and overseas, however ballot papers cannot be sent out any earlier than 10 days before an election, which leaves a short period for you to receive and return your ballot paper.

Therefore if you are overseas, it may be better to appoint a proxy to vote on your behalf.

In order for your ballot paper to be counted it must reach us before polling stations close on Election Day. Postal votes can be sent to us in the normal manner or handed in at the Electoral Services Office or at any polling station within the ward on Election Day: i.e. if you have a postal vote and you live in Buller Road you will only be able to hand that postal vote into a Thornton Heath polling station.

The last day for a new application to vote by post or changing and cancelling an existing postal voting arrangement is 5pm, 11 working days before the day of poll.

If you have a postal vote, you cannot change your mind and vote at your polling station on Election Day. Each elector can only be issued one ballot paper, if you have a postal vote, your ballot paper will be issued and sent to you before Election Day.

Please note: this form does not apply to the following types of voters.

• a British citizen living overseas
• a Crown Servant or British Council employee
• a member of Her Majesty's armed forces registered as a service voter.

Following a change in the law (The Electoral Administration Act 2006) all electors who wish to vote by post or proxy are now required to provide personal identifiers (their date of birth and a specimen of their signature) when they apply. The change in the law has been introduced to make absent voting at all future elections more secure.

The personal identifiers will be stored securely. At every election when postal voters complete their postal vote they will also be required to complete and return a security statement on which they will have to again provide their date of birth and signature. They will be matched against those that already supplied to ensure that the postal vote remains secure.

Contact Details

Contact name

Electoral Services

Telephone

020 8726 6300

Fax

020 8407 1308

Email

electoral.services@croydon.gov.uk

Address

Electoral Services
The Town Hall
Katharine Street
Croydon
CR9 1DE

Office hours are 8.45am to 5.15pm.