Postal voters warned to re-apply or risk losing their vote ahead of 2026 deadline

Saturday, 1 November 2025 19:08

By David Murphy

Rochdale Borough Council has reminded thousands of residents they must re-apply for postal voting by January 2026 or risk being removed from the postal register due to new national rules.

Residents who registered for postal voting before October 2023 must submit a new application by 31 January 2026 to continue voting by post in future elections, including the next local election in May 2026. The new rules, introduced under the Elections Act 2022, require postal voters to reapply every three years.

Anyone who fails to do so will have their existing postal vote cancelled by law and will need to vote in person or appoint a proxy until a new application is submitted and approved.

Rochdale Council’s Electoral Services team confirmed that affected voters were contacted by post and email during July and August 2025 with clear instructions on how to renew. Re-applying is free and can be done online via rochdale.gov.uk/postalvoting, but applicants will need their National Insurance number and a photo of their handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

Clare Poole, elections manager at Rochdale Borough Council, said:

“Renewing your postal vote is essential to ensure your voice continues to be heard in future elections. With new legislation requiring reapplication every three years, and local elections in May, we've contacted voters well in advance to make the process as smooth as possible. If you haven’t yet re-applied and want to continue voting by post, please act promptly, your vote matters, and we want to make sure it counts.”

Residents who have already returned their renewal form but not yet received confirmation are being asked to be patient as the council is processing a large volume of applications.

Anyone wishing to cancel their postal vote must provide their full name, address and a handwritten signature either by post to Electoral Services, Number One Riverside, Smith Street, Rochdale OL16 1AZ or by emailing a photo of the signed request to elections@rochdale.gov.uk

For further help, residents can call the council on 0300 303 0345.