Around 10,000 Wandsworth residents who vote by post have not yet renewed their postal vote arrangement and have until 31 January to do so or risk being unable to vote by post in May’s council elections.
Wandsworth Council said it began with 38,000 postal voters needing to renew under new rules introduced by the Elections Act 2022, which requires postal vote arrangements to be renewed every three years. After multiple rounds of letters and emails, around 10,000 have still not responded.
“Thanks to the tens of thousands of residents who have made a new application,” the council said. “For anyone who has not responded yet, there is still time. They can either apply online or complete the paper application that has been sent to them.”
Those affected have received a final notice by post in recent weeks, the council confirmed. An information leaflet was also included in canvass communications sent last autumn.
Signed up during the pandemic? You need to renew
The renewal requirement is expected to catch out residents who signed up during the Covid-19 pandemic and may not have opened council letters or realised the significance of the deadline. Electoral Commission research found that nearly half of all London postal voters in May 2021 were voting by post for the first time, with councils actively encouraging postal voting to reduce crowding at polling stations.
Residents who miss the 31 January deadline will still be able to vote in person at their polling station on 7 May, but will need to bring photo ID under rules introduced in 2023. They can also reapply for a postal vote up until the election deadline, though this is tighter.
To renew, residents need to apply online at GOV.UK, providing their National Insurance number, date of birth, and a copy of their signature. The application takes around five minutes. Those who received a paper form can complete and return that instead.
Residents unable to sign consistently due to disability can apply for a signature waiver by contacting Wandsworth’s Electoral Services team at electoral@wandsworth.gov.uk or by calling 020 8871 6023.
Wandsworth’s full council elections take place on 7 May 2026, with all 58 seats being contested.
