Why Have I Already Received my Postal Vote?

So, the day after purdah kicks in I receive my postal vote ballot paper. I’m not normally one for conspiracy theories, but I smell a rat. In a general election you get the ballot paper a maximum of two weeks in advance, I believe. So why is it different in the referendum?

Cynics might suggest that it’s due to Project Fear at its maximum impact. Now that Purdah has started the government is prevented from launching any more Project Fear initiatives.

As I say, I don’t normally go in for conspiracy theories, but I’d love to know the real reason for ballot papers being sent out 28 days before polling day, especially when voter registration doesn’t close for another 11 days.

Perhaps someone could enlighten me.

UPDATE: The Electoral Commission have set out the timetable HERE. They say postal vote ballot papers were always planned to go out from 27 May.

A respondent on Twitter says they have done it earlier because there are no candidate nominations.