Stockport Council is asking all electors who have voted by post for more than five years to provide an updated signature.
The Electoral Registration Officer will be writing next week to over 16,000 Stockport voters informing them that they need to provide a fresh signature by 12th March.
Postal voters are now required to refresh their signature every five years and are being asked to provide the Electoral Registration Officer with their current signature so that accurate electoral records can be maintained. Anyone who fails to supply a new signature will automatically lose their postal vote and will have to vote in person at their polling station at future elections.
Legislation now requires voters to provide their signature and date of birth as a security measure to ensure people’s postal votes are safe from electoral fraud.
When an elector votes by post, their signature and date of birth is checked against the records held by the Electoral Registration Officer. If the details do not match, the electors vote is not included in the count.
Those voters who receive a letter should return the completed forms in the pre-paid envelope provided. If more than one person in a household has received a letter, they can return all the forms in one envelope, which will help reduce costs to the council.
Anyone who does not supply a fresh signature by 12 March will be informed that their postal or proxy vote has been cancelled and will have to make a new application if they do not want to have to vote in person at their polling station.
Anyone who has a disability that prevents them providing a signature in a consistent and distinctive way should indicate this on the form and the elections team will contact them and advise them of the action to take.
If you have any queries, please contact the Electoral Registration Officer on 0161 217 6026.
Eamonn Boylan, Electoral Registration Officer for Stockport, said: “This is the first time I have been required to write to those who have had a postal vote for more than five years asking them to provide a fresh signature to ensure they can continue to vote by post.
“I’m sorry to have to inconvenience anyone, but the law is clear about the action I must take to help reduce electoral fraud. Taking this simple action will ensure that the elector will keep their postal vote and I would encourage everybody to return their form promptly.”