UK General Election: Royal Mail processed over 70,000 completed postal votes on polling day alone

Royal Mail delivered more postal votes and candidate mail for the 2024 UK General Election than in any previous election. Deliveries of postal vote returns increased by 50% and there was 30% more candidate mail than at the 2019 General Election.

Election-related mail delivered to voters over the course of the 2024 General Election campaign included 50.8 million poll cards, 7.26 million completed postal votes and 184 million pieces of candidate mail. All forms of election mail saw an increase in numbers when compared to 2019, with the number of poll cards delivered increasing by 10%.

Whilst volumes of election mail were higher than ever, all postal votes handed to Royal Mail on time were delivered as planned thanks to close partnership working with local authorities, an experienced elections team and the UK’s 81,000 postmen and women. A final ‘sweep’ of all 37 mail centres and more than 1,200 delivery offices took place on polling day to ensure that all sites were clear of postal votes. Royal Mail processed over 70,000 completed postal votes on polling day alone, with an army of more than 400 dedicated van drivers working to deliver them to local authority returning officers across the UK.

Ricky McAulay, Royal Mail’s UK Operations Director, said: “Our well laid plans and experienced elections team meant we were well set up to deliver for this general election. We are very proud of our whole team of postmen and women for stepping up to the plate and ensuring we play our role in delivering democracy.”