Electoral administrators call for earlier postal vote deadline as demand is "overloading" system

The current postal voting system should be reviewed and earlier deadlines for absent voting applications implemented amid a 20% increase in postal voting from the 2019 General Election, the Association of Electoral Administrators has said.

The association warned that the short timescale for the election and high demand for postal votes has put pressure on the postal voting system.

It said that more than 1.3 million people made postal vote applications between 22 May and 19 June, and it is estimated that postal vote numbers will top 10m in this election, a 20% increase from the 2019 General Election.

The association said: "Election teams are doing their very best to run this snap election, but with a short timetable – plus print and delivery suppliers working at capacity – demand is overloading the system."

Printing postal votes is a complicated process. Personalised postal vote statements must be matched with the correct ballot paper, personalised envelopes and instruction sheets. Election teams also need to carry out security checks adding to the time needed to prepare and send ballot papers out.

"Closing applications 16 working days before a poll, rather than the current 11, would increase capacity to process, print and post out ballot packs – and crucially give voters more time to post them back."

The association also complained that the law on absent voting applications prevents returning officers from helping electors whose postal vote has not arrived.

To fix this, it called for emergency proxy provision to be expanded to include electors who have not received their postal vote.

Adam Carey