New rules introduced by the Elections Act 2022 about handling of postal votes apply to polls taking places on or after 2nd May. These rules only apply to the UK General Election.
The changes are as follows:
- 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.
- Individuals will be allowed to hand in more than five completed postal ballot packs(in addition to their own) - One form can be completed fro all five forms and if no form is completed then the postal packs will be rejected.
- All individuals hand in postal votes to the local authority offices or polling places will need to complete a postal vote - Completed postal votes packs should be posted throught the royal mail service, there will be no facility to hand a postal pack into an office until polling day where you can hand these into a polling station but a form must be completed and if no form is completed then the postal pack will be rejected.