New rules introduced by the Elections Act 2022 about handling of postal votes apply to the UK Parliamentary election.
Handing in postal votes
Postal votes can be returned by hand to a polling station or to the Returning Officer at Angus House, Orchardbank, Forfar.
There is now a limit on the number of postal votes you can hand in and restrictions on who can hand those in. Voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs (in addition to their own). When handing in postal votes, voters will need to complete a form. Voters will need to include their name and address, how many postal votes they are handing in and why they are handing in those postal votes. Postal votes will be rejected if the form is not completed or they hand in more postal votes than is allowed.
Where the individual has been appointed as a proxy postal for another elector, handing in the proxy postal would count towards one of the five for other electors.
Parties and campaigners will no longer be allowed to handle certain completed postal votes and postal vote envelopes. This means that Representatives of Political Parties and their agents will no longer be able to collect postal votes from voters and hand them in to the Council office. Voters must return completed postal votes themselves.
You should return your completed postal vote as soon as you can by taking it to a post box yourself. If you can't post it yourself, you can ask someone you know and trust to post it for you. Avoid asking a candidate or party worker to post it for you. At UK Parliament elections, it is an offence for campaigners, candidates and party workers to handle the postal votes of anyone who is not a close relative or someone they provide care for.
If you can't post your postal vote in time, you can take it your polling station by 10pm on polling day. You will need to complete a form when handing in your postal vote at a polling station. When you complete this form you will need to include your name and address, how many postal votes you are handing in and why you are handing in those postal votes.
Handing in postal votes to the Returning Officer
Electors may also hand in postal votes to the Returning Officer, Angus House, Orchardbank, Forfar only. Postal votes will not be accepted at any other council office. The same limits and requirement to complete a form will apply to postal votes handed to the Returning Officer.
The Returning Officer also cannot accept any postal votes which are left in any council mailbox without the relevant form being completed.