Postal voting will be available for the first time in the Isle of Man during this year’s House of Keys General Election.
The intention is to provide a convenient and secure alternative for registered electors who are unable to attend their allotted polling station or who choose not to vote in person.
A postal voting application form is available to download for each of the 12 Keys constituencies at www.gov.im/elections.
Electors who wish to vote by post should complete the application form and send it back to the Returning Officer for their constituency. A signature and date of birth are required on the form, and again when mailing in a postal ballot, in order to prevent fraud.
Postal voting ballot packs will be issued to applicants once the Notices of Poll have been published confirming the list of official candidates in each constituency.
The nomination period for election candidates closes on Wednesday 25 August, so it is proposed that postal voting ballot papers will be printed ready for distribution from 31 August.
The packs can be sent to addresses in the Isle of Man, UK and overseas. Individuals must be registered on the electoral roll in order to vote and be 16 years old or over on polling day, Thursday 23 September 2021.
Electors, particularly those who may be temporarily overseas, are encouraged to apply in advance of the deadline for applications, so that their ballot pack can be issued in good time.
The closing dates for the receipt of postal voting application forms are as follows:
- Wednesday 15 September 2021 for those voting by post in the Isle of Man
- Thursday 9 September 2021 for those voting by post within the British Isles, but outside the Isle of Man
- Tuesday 31 August 2021 for those voting by post outside of the Isle of Man and the British Isles.
Packs will include instructions to help electors to complete the postal voting statement and the ballot paper. Information and guidance is also available on the Gov.im election webpages.
