Paragraph 12 Grant or refusal of applicationsI1

England and Wales

(1)

A decision by the registration officer to grant an application to vote by post must be notified to the applicant.

F1(1A)

The notification under sub-paragraph (1) must include—

(a)

if the postal vote entitlement is for a particular election, the day of the poll for which the elector’s entitlement to vote by post has been granted,

(b)

otherwise, the date on which the elector’s entitlement to vote by post ends, in accordance with article 6(1A) or 10(5A), as relevant.

(2)

Where the registration officer grants an application for the appointment of a proxy, the registration officer must confirm in writing to the elector that the proxy has been appointed, together with the proxy’s name and address and the duration of the appointment.

(3)

The proxy paper to be issued by the registration officer on the appointment of a proxy must be in form 1 set out in Welsh and English in Schedule 10, but this may be combined with another form of proxy paper if the registration officer is issuing a proxy paper appointing that person as proxy for the same elector in respect of another election or other elections.

(4)

Where the registration officer refuses an application for an absent vote the registration officer must notify the applicant of the decision and the reason for it.

(5)

The registration officer must notify the applicant where the registration officer grants an application made under—

(a)

article 7(4)(a) by a person shown as voting by post in the record kept under article 6(4), or

(b)

article 10(7) by a person shown as voting by post in the record kept under article 10(6).

(6)

Where a person is removed from the record kept pursuant to article 6(4), the registration officer must, where practicable, notify the person of this and the reason for it.

(7)

Where the appointment of a proxy is cancelled by the elector or otherwise ceases to be in force, the registration officer must, where practicable, notify the elector that the appointment has been cancelled or that the appointment has ceased, and the reason for it.

(8)

Where under paragraph 11 the registration officer refuses or disregards an application for the purposes of any Senedd election, the registration officer must notify the applicant of this.

F2(8A)

Sub-paragraphs (8B) to (8D) apply if—

(a)

an application has been made under article 6, 7, 9 or 10, and

(b)

either—

(i)

paragraph 2(2) applies to that application, or would have applied if paragraph 2(3) was ignored, or

(ii)

paragraph 3(1) and (2) applies to that application, or would have applied if paragraph 3(3) was ignored.

(8B)

A notification under sub-paragraph (1) to one of the following types of applicants must also include a statement that ballot papers will be sent to the postal ballot delivery address—

(a)

an applicant registered in pursuance of a service declaration;

(b)

an applicant registered in pursuance of a declaration of local connection (within the meaning of section 7B of the 1983 Act);

(c)

an applicant who is a merchant seaman (within the meaning of section 6 of the 1983 Act);

(d)

an applicant who has an anonymous entry.

(8C)

If sub-paragraphs (a) to (d) of sub-paragraph (8B) do not apply to the applicant, the registration officer must, in addition to notifying the applicant under sub-paragraph (1), (4), (5) or (8), notify the applicant in writing that—

(a)

the application has been granted, refused or disregarded, and

(b)

where the application has been granted, ballot papers will be sent to the postal ballot delivery address.

(8D)

A notification under paragraph (8C) must be delivered to—

(a)

if paragraph (8A)(b)(ii) applies and the notification is to be delivered to a person shown as voting by post in the record kept under article 8(1)(a), the address shown in that record;

(b)

otherwise—

(i)

the address stated in the application in accordance with paragraph 1(1)(b), or

(ii)

the proxy’s address stated in the application in accordance with paragraph 1(1)(c).

(8E)

In sub-paragraphs (8B) and (8C), the “postal ballot delivery address” means—

(a)

if sub-paragraph (8A)(b)(i) applies, the address stated in the application in accordance with paragraph 1(1)(d);

(b)

if sub-paragraph (8A)(b)(ii) applies, the different address described in paragraph 3(1) and (2).

(8F)

In sub-paragraph (8B) “service declaration” has the same meaning as in section 202(1) of the 1983 Act.

(9)

At a Senedd election, where the registration officer (“R”) is not the returning officer for a Senedd constituency, or part of a Senedd constituency, R must send to the returning officer details of any application to vote by post which R has granted as soon as practicable after doing so.

Annotations

Textual amendments

F1: Sch. 1 para. 12(1A) inserted (3.11.2026) by The Representation of the People (Absent Voting and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (W.S.I. 2026/91), regs. 1(3), 7(3)(a) (with Pt. 7)
F2: Sch. 1 para. 12(8A)-(8F) inserted (3.11.2026) by The Representation of the People (Absent Voting and Miscellaneous Amendments) (Wales) Regulations 2026 (W.S.I. 2026/91), regs. 1(3), 7(3)(b) (with Pt. 7)

Commencement

I1: Sch. 1 para. 12 in force at 18.7.2025, see art. 1(2)