Vote by post

If you’re not able to get to your allocated polling station on the day of an election (‘polling day’), you can vote by post. 

You need to apply for a postal vote in advance of polling day.

You must be registered to vote to apply for a postal vote.

You can apply for a postal vote for reasons including:

• you’re away on holiday on polling day
• you’re not able to vote in person because of work
• it would be more convenient for you than going to your polling station
• you have been chosen as a proxy voter for someone else and you want to vote by post.

You must apply by 5pm at least 11 working days before an election polling day. 

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the Scottish Parliament election 2026 is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.

If you are not already registered to vote by post, and you wish to do so, you will need to apply for a postal vote.

Find out more about the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.

To apply for a postal vote, you’ll need to provide:

• your full name
• the address at which you are registered to vote
• your National Insurance number or another form of identification, such as a passport (for UK Parliamentary elections only)
• the date of the election or the specific time period you want to make a postal vote.
• the address you wish your ballot pack to be issued to, if this is different from your registered address
• the reason for requesting the ballot paper to go to an alternative address.

For UK Parliamentary elections, you’ll also need to upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

To apply for a postal vote, download and fill in the paper form (Electoral Commission)

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

UK Parliamentary elections

Online

Apply for a postal vote online (GOV.UK)   

Paper form

If you cannot apply online, you can download and fill in the paper form (Electoral Commission).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

Your local Electoral Registration Office will confirm by post or email when your postal vote is in place.

We'll send you a postal vote ballot pack before the election polling day with information on how and when to post your vote.

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

If you’ve applied for a postal vote for the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026, you’ll receive your postal vote ballot pack by post.  

Make sure you have posted your vote in time to arrive by Thursday 7 May 2026.

If you have not posted it in time, you can hand your completed postal vote in to any polling station in your constituency.

How to cancel your postal vote

If you want to cancel your postal vote, contact your local electoral registration office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

You must do this by 5pm at least 11 working days before the election polling day.   

If you’ve already sent your postal vote, you will not be able to cancel it for that election.

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

If you want to cancel your postal vote for the Scottish Parliamentary Election 2026, you must do this by 5pm on 21 April 2026.

Change your postal vote to a proxy vote

If you have a postal vote and want to change it to a proxy vote, you must cancel your postal vote by 5pm at least 11 working days before polling day.

You can then submit a proxy vote application by 5pm at least 6 working days before polling day.   

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

If you want to change your postal vote to a proxy vote for the Scottish Parliamentary Election 2026, you must cancel your proxy vote by 5pm on 21 April 2026.

You must then submit a proxy vote application before 5pm on 28 April 2026.

More information

For any questions, contact the Electoral Registration Office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk