Half Of Isle Of Wight Postal Voters Yet To Renew Ahead Of January Deadline

Only around 8,000 of the Isle of Wight’s 16,000 postal voters have renewed their postal vote ahead of the 31 January deadline, leaving potentially another 8,000 without a ballot for upcoming elections.

A change in the law under the Elections Act 2022 now requires all postal votes to be renewed every three years.

Anyone who made their current postal vote application before 30 January 2024 must reapply by 31 January 2026.

If a new application is not received, the Electoral Registration Officer is legally required to cancel the postal vote, meaning voters would have to attend a polling station in person until a new application is processed or a proxy is appointed.

The drop in postal vote renewals on the Isle of Wight mirrors trends seen across local authorities on the mainland.

The Isle of Wight Council’s Electoral Services Team has sent emails and letters to current postal voters, receiving around 8,000 responses so far.

Forms were also sent to those who hadn’t renewed by mid-December to allow voters who cannot apply online to return a paper application.

Officials warn that some long-term postal voters may be unaware they now need to reapply regularly to continue receiving ballots by mail.

Returning Officer Claire Shand said:

“Isle of Wight Council elections are scheduled for Thursday 7 May, and we don’t want people reaching late April only to find their postal vote hasn’t arrived because of this law change.

"If you intend to continue voting by post and haven’t reapplied, please do so as soon as possible.”

How To Reapply

The fastest way to renew a postal vote is online via the GOV.UK postal vote website. Voters will need to provide their:

• Date of birth

• National Insurance number

• A photo or scanned copy of their handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper

Identity will be verified against Department for Work and Pensions records. If the check fails, voters must provide additional evidence of identity.

Under the Elections Act 2022, postal votes now expire at the end of the third January following an approved application.

For example, an application made on 1 November 2025 will expire on 31 January 2028.

Voters are urged to act now to ensure their postal vote is in place for the May elections.