For the first time, anyone handing in a postal vote at a polling station will be asked to complete a form including details of their name, address and number of postal votes being returned. They will also need to state why they’re returning the votes by hand.
Residents will be only able to hand in their own postal vote, and the postal votes of up to five other people, at a polling station.
The easiest way for postal votes to be returned is by posting it to a Royal Mail post box. However, any resident who can’t post it in advance can hand it in at a polling station in their Ward on election day (Thursday 2 May) before 10pm.
City of Wolverhampton Council Returning Officer, Chief Executive Tim Johnson said: “From this year, changes by Government mean anyone handing in their postal vote on election day will need to complete a form.
“We want people to return their postal vote in the most convenient way to them. The easiest way for most is to return it in the pre-paid envelope using a Royal Mail Post Box.”
Residents who applied to vote by post by Monday 25 March will receive their postal vote on or around Thursday 18 April. Those who applied after Monday 25 March should receive it on or around Tuesday 23 April.
Votes received after 10pm on Thursday 2 May will not be counted. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is by 5pm on Wednesday 17 April at www.gov.uk/registertovote.
