BAFF has learned that postal ballots for the EU membership referendum on 23 June are to be sent out to service voters between 23 and 27 May "to ensure plenty of time for their votes to be counted".

The deadlines for applying for a proxy or postal vote in the General Election have now passed. But an "emergency proxy vote" can still be applied for in certain circumstances. Details below, courtesy of the Electoral Commission site aboutmyvote.co.uk.

Postal votes have begun to be delivered to those voters who applied for them. The paperwork is not difficult but, because of the nature of postal voting, there is inevitably more to it than voting in person at the polling station. Election officials may have to return some votes because of errors.

Update: today Tuesday 28 April is the last day for applying for a proxy vote. Visit: Apply to vote by proxy - Includes information for service voters.

Time has now run out for registering to vote in the General Election on 7 May. The deadline to apply for a postal vote in this election has also passed. If you are registered you can still apply for a proxy vote until 5pm on Tuesday 28 April. After that deadline, you may still be able to apply for an "emergency proxy vote" in limited circumstances. Read on for more details: