Voting by post means you don't have to attend a polling station on election day.

You can apply for a postal vote because:

• You’re away on holiday
• Because your work schedule means you can't get to polling station
• It is more convenient for you

There are two ways to apply to vote by post:

• Online form via the gov uk website
• Download, print and complete a postal vote application form (PDF) via the Electoral Commission website

You can choose to apply for a postal vote for a particular election, a particular type of election, or all elections you are eligible to vote in.

Instructions on how to complete the application correctly are provided on both the online and paper forms.

You will need to provide your date of birth, National Insurance number and signature on your application form. These are used to confirm your identity when you vote by post.

If you’re unable to provide your National Insurance number, you will need to explain why in your application. The electoral services team will contact you to discuss which other forms of identification you will need to provide.

Contact the electoral services team at your local council for more information if you're unable to sign the form or are unable to sign in a consistent way.

Shortly before election time, you will receive your ballot paper through the post.

The completed and signed paper applications can be returned to Electoral Services by post, or an image of the signed form can be emailed to elections@crawley.gov.uk.