RESIDENTS who have lost their entitlement to vote by post can still apply to have it reinstated.
Every year, Tameside Council is legally required to write to all absent voters, either postal or proxy, whose signatures are more than five years old on January 31, asking them to provide a fresh signature.
Forms for the signature renewal were sent out in January and reminders then sent to those who didn’t respond.
Around 2,500 electors didn’t renew and have lost their entitlement to vote by post.
But the council has now written to these residents and included an application form to reinstate their postal vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is Monday April 15 at 5pm.
The requirement for a fresh signature is to reduce the possibility of electoral fraud. When you are sent a postal vote for an election, you are required to provide your signature and date of birth on a postal voting statement.
These are checked against those you provide on your postal vote application form to ensure your vote cannot be used by someone else.
An important part of these security measures is providing a fresh signature every five years as signatures and circumstances can change over time.
For more information, call 0161 342 3036.