Please see the below message from Chichester District Council:

My name is Diane, and I am the Chief Executive of Chichester District Council. As the West Sussex County Council elections will be taking place on Thursday 7 May 2026, I will be writing the District Dispatch column in the run-up to the elections. As a district council, we will be running the election on behalf of West Sussex County Council, and I wanted to use this opportunity to let you know about some key voting deadlines.

If you wish to vote in this election, you must be registered to vote by midnight on Monday 20 April. Registering only takes five minutes and can be done online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote. Residents who are unable to register online or who need additional support can contact Chichester District Council’s Elections team by calling 01243 521010 or emailing [email protected].

Both postal and proxy voting allow people to cast ballots without going to a polling station in person. If you wish to vote by post, you can apply online at: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote. The deadline to apply for, or make changes to, a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April.

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 we will be unable to accept them. Instead, voters will need to bring their postal vote to the council’s reception where you 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.

Proxy voting allows people to authorise someone else to vote on their behalf. Recent changes to the rules mean that someone can only act as a proxy for up to two people. Anyone who votes on behalf of UK voters who live overseas can act as a proxy for up to four people (but only two of those can live in the UK). The last day to apply to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April and this can be done online: www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.

If you’re voting in person, you will need to show photographic ID. Accepted forms of ID include a UK, European Economic Area (EEA) or Commonwealth passport; a UK or EEA driver’s licence; and some concessionary travel passes, such as an older person’s bus pass or an Oyster 60+ card. The full list is available at: www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Expired ID can be used if you are still recognisable from the photo. You must also show ID if voting on behalf of someone else.

If you do not have any of the accepted forms of ID, the deadline to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April. You can apply online at: www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
or request a paper form from our Elections Team by emailing [email protected] or calling 01243 521010. Please remember to supply a hard copy or electronic photo with your application. The team can assist you if you need help applying or cannot provide your own photo.

On Thursday 7 May, polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Polling cards will be sent out to registered voters at the end of March. Please check your card carefully as your polling station may have changed. You can also find your polling station at: https://wheredoivote.co.uk/.

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. Following the election, results will be published at: www.chichester.gov.uk/electionresults

Best wishes,
Diane Shepherd
Chief Executive, Chichester District Council