Thursday 7 May 2026 – West Sussex County Council Elections

On the day, polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Please check your polling card carefully as your polling station may have changed. You don’t need to bring your polling card with you to vote, but it can help speed up the process if you do. You can also find your polling station at: https://wheredoivote.co.uk/.

If you are voting in person, you will need to show one form of original photographic ID. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA driving licence; and certain concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. Expired ID is accepted, provided you are still recognisable from the photograph.

The name on your ID must match the name you used to register to vote, and photocopies will not be accepted. You will also need to show photo ID if you are voting on behalf of someone else. A full list of accepted photo ID is available at:
www.electoralcommission.org.uk

If you’re voting by post, please ensure your completed ballot is returned in good time. Postal votes must be received by 10pm on polling day to be counted. Residents are being reminded that the law around handing in postal votes has changed in recent years and this means that anyone visiting Chichester District Council offices or a polling station to hand in a postal vote will need to sign a declaration form. Due to this, the council is asking people not to post votes through their letterbox, because they will be unable to accept them. Instead, voters will need to bring their postal votes to the council’s reception where they will be asked to sign a form to confirm that the vote has been received. However, if someone posts their form to the council by Royal Mail, a signed declaration is not required.

West Sussex County Council are committed to ensuring voting is accessible for everyone, both at polling stations across the Chichester District and throughout the entire voting process. Our polling station staff are fully trained and will be available to assist voters, and polling stations will have accessibility measures in place. You may also bring someone with you to help you vote if needed. Each station is equipped with a range of tools designed to help you cast your vote, and you can find more information on our website: www.chichester.gov.uk/article/40658/Accessibility-at-Elections

Votes for this election will be counted on Friday 8 May and we expect the first results to start coming through early afternoon. Election results for divisions in the Chichester District will be published on our website at: www.chichester.gov.uk/electionresults and county-wide results will be published here:

www.westsussex.gov.uk/about-the-council/how-the-council-works/elections/county-council-election/

For more information about the elections, please visit: www.chichester.gov.uk/elections. The Electoral Commission also provides guidance at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections.