 postal voting describes the method of voting in an election whereby ballot papers are distributed or returned by post to electors, in contrast to electors voting in person at a polling station or electronically via an electronic voting system. it is of benefit to people who may not be able to attend a polling station in person, either through a physical disability or absence from the locality. this method of voting is available to voters upon application (sometimes with restrictions) in statutory elections in many democratic nations. on the other hand, concerns about postal voting have been raised as to whether it complies with the requirements of a secret ballot, in that people cast their vote outside the security of a polling station, and whether voters can cast their vote privately free from another person's coercion. there have been cases of electoral fraud with postal votes in the united kingdom (including in birmingham at the 2004 european and local government elections in the uk).labour to halt postal vote fraud but only after election (times, april 11, 2005) ==history by country== ===united kingdom=== voting at elections originally took place by way of a public show of hands or by a public ballot. the right to vote by secret ballot was introduced by the parliamentary and municipal elections act 1872 (the ballot act 1872). after this voting took place at polling stations where voters marked their votes in secret and placed their ballot papers in a closed box. absent voting was first introduced for the immediate post-war period in 1918 for servicemen and others prevented âby reason of the nature of their occupationâ¦from voting at a pollâ by the representation of the people act 1918. armed forces still serving overseas at the end of world war i were allowed to vote by post, and permanent arrangements were made for proxy voting by servicemen. the representation of the people act 1945 again made temporary provision for postal voting by service voters. postal voting was not extended to civilians until 1948 when the representation of the people act 1948 granted postal voting facilities to both service personnel and to certain groups of civilians including those who were physically incapacitated, those unable to vote without making a journey by sea or air or because of the nature of their occupation, and 
Elections