If you will be away on polling day, at work or on holiday, are physically unable or just don't have the time to get to a polling station to vote in person, you can still exercise your democratic right to vote. You may have moved house since the electoral register was drawn up and have not yet joined the register at your new address.
You can choose either to vote by post or to appoint someone else - a proxy - to vote on your behalf. Anyone can vote by post nowadays and you don't need a special reason. Provided you will be around to receive your postal ballot during the last ten days of the election campaign, you can vote in the comfort of your own home and post your ballot paper back to the council.
And, if you forget and leave it until the last minute, provided you have followed all the instructions and sealed the ballot paper and declaration of identity in their envelopes, you can take your postal ballot to the council offices or your local polling station.
To find out more about voting by post, please visit the Government's official site at: http://www.aboutmyvote.co.uk
From this site, you can download an application form to vote by post. Simply print the form out, complete the details and send it to the local Electoral Registration Officer at the local council's offices.