THOUSANDS of residents who vote by post are being urged to check their paperwork, as a change in national law means some long-standing postal votes are due to expire.

Anyone who applied for a postal vote before January 30, 2024, will need to submit a fresh application before January 31, 2026, if they want to continue voting by post.

The reminder has already landed on doorsteps and in inboxes across the county, with letters and emails sent to affected voters.

The change is particularly important for people living in areas where a by-election could be called at short notice.

Electoral staff are encouraging voters not to wait until an election is announced, as leaving it too late could mean missing out on a postal ballot altogether.

Wiltshire’s electoral registration officer Lucy Townsend said the aim is to avoid any last-minute problems for voters.

She added: “It’s a busy time of year and such things can be easily forgotten, so it’s best that people act now so they’re ready for any upcoming elections.”

Applying again is straightforward and can be done online in a matter of minutes.

Voters will need their National Insurance number and a photo or image of their signature.

For those who prefer paper forms, these can be printed at home or requested directly from the council’s elections team.

Anyone who does not submit a new application by the January 2026 deadline will have their postal vote cancelled automatically.

A confirmation will be sent out, and while those voters will still be able to cast their vote in person at a polling station, they will need to reapply if they want to return to postal voting in the future.

With future elections already on the horizon, election officials are urging people to act sooner rather than later.