Local elections

The West Sussex County Council election is taking place on Thursday 7 May 2026.

The process will elect 70 county councillors to represent local areas (called divisions) of around 12,000 residents each.

Elected councillors take policy and spending decisions and are accountable to residents.

In the last elections in 2021 over 240,000 people in West Sussex voted for their local county councillor.

See more on the current political make-up of the council and learn more about how the council operates on our county council structure webpage.

You can find out more about the election process, results of previous elections, and how to register to vote on our elections webpages: Elections - West Sussex County Council.

All voters must be registered and 18 years of age or older.  

If you’ve changed address or moved home since you last registered, you will need to update your details online. Checking now helps make sure you can vote in a way that’s right for you. 

The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday 20 April. You can apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote.

Once registered, you have a range of options – vote in person at a polling station, by post, or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote.

• the deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April
• the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April

You need to show photo identification (ID) to vote at a polling station.

Voter ID

You can use any of the following:

• Passport
• Driving licence (including provisional license)
• Blue badge
• Certain concessionary travel cards
• Identity card with PASS mark (Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
• Biometric Immigration document including eVisas
• Defence identity card
• HM Armed Forces Veteran Card
• Certain national identity cards

You will only need to show one form of photo ID, but it needs to be the original version and not a photocopy. The name on your ID must be the same name you used to register to vote.

Most people already have valid photo ID and won’t need to take any action. But if you don’t already have an accepted form of photo ID, or you’re not sure whether your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate for use at the 7 May local elections in England is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April.

If you need any help with applying for a Voter Authority Certificate or want to request an application form, contact your local district or borough council. You can find their contact details by entering your postcode in the Electoral Commission’s search.

For more information, including the full list of accepted forms of photo ID, visit the Electoral Commission website or call their helpline on 0800 328 0280.

• 30 March 2026 – notices of election will be published
• 10 April 2026 – nominations of candidates will be published
• 7 May 2026 – election will take place
• 8 May 2026 – votes will be counted and results announced

We will publish the results for each county council electoral division here on Friday 8 May 2026.

On these pages we will give:

• the results of each division in the county
• details of the overall results

Read more about plans for changes to local government across England, including plans to create a combined authority for Sussex and separate but related plans for re-organising local authorities.