Postal and proxy voting
If you're away or cannot go to your polling station on election day, you can do one of the following:
Apply to vote by post
In the lead-up to an election we must receive your completed application by 5pm on the 11th working day before the election.
If you are given a postal vote, you will not be able to vote in person at this election. To apply to vote by post, email er@dacorum.gov.uk to request an application form or download and complete the form on the Government website.
Postal vote applications are changing on 31 October 2023. The current application form is only valid until 30 October 2023. Any original forms received after this date will not be valid. The new form will be available from 31 October 2023. Find out more about changes to postal voting.
Please email completed application forms to er@dacorum.gov.uk or return by post to:
Electoral Services
Dacorum Borough Council
The Forum
Marlowes
Hemel Hempstead
Hertfordshire
HP1 1DN
Lost or spoilt ballot papers
If you did not receive your postal pack, have lost or spoilt your ballot paper or postal voting statement, please contact the Electoral Services office. The elector will need to come in person to the office to be issued with another. Two forms of identification will be required - photo ID (passport or driver’s licence) and proof of residence (for example, a utility bill).
Apply to vote by proxy (someone else voting on your behalf)
In the lead-up to an election we must receive your completed application by 5pm on the sixth working day before the election.
If you appoint a proxy, you can vote if you wish, but only if your proxy has not already voted on your behalf and has not got a postal vote for you. To apply to vote by proxy, email er@dacorum.gov.uk to request an application form or download and complete the form on the Government website and return to us (using the details above).
Proxy vote applications are changing on 31 October 2023. The current application form is only valid until 30 October 2023. Any original forms received after this date will not be valid. The new form will be available from 31 October 2023. Find out more about changes to proxy voting.
If you have a permanent physical incapacity, are registered blind or receive the higher rate of mobility component of the disability living allowance for a physical disability, you are eligible for a permanent proxy vote. To apply for a permanent proxy, please contact us.
Emergency proxy vote
You can apply to vote by emergency proxy if (after 5pm, six working days before an election) you have a personal medical emergency or learn you cannot go to the polling station because of work emergency.
For an application due to being physically incapacitated, the form must be supported by a registered medical practitioner or a registered nurse. If you are in a residential home or sheltered housing, the matron, home care director or warden may support your application.
For an application due to occupation, service or employment emergency, the attestation must be made by the employer (or delegate) or for self-employed people, by an adult who knows them but is not related to the elector.
