Welcome to the April 2026 special edition of our Residents’ eNewsletter.

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

Seventy county councillors will be elected to represent local areas, each made up of around 12,000 residents.

Councillors make policy and spending decisions which affect everyone in West Sussex and are accountable to residents. 

If you’ve never voted before, or you’ve changed address or moved home since you last registered, you will need to ensure you are registered to vote.

Checking now helps make sure you can vote in a way that’s right for you. 

Once registered, there are several ways you can vote.

You can 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.

To vote at a polling station you will need to show a form of photo identification (ID).

This needs to be the original version - not a photocopy - and the name on your ID must be the same name you used to register to vote.

You can use one of the following:

• Passport
• Driving licence (including provisional licence)
• 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

Most people will already have valid photo ID and won’t need to take any action.

If you don’t have ID, or you’re not sure your photo ID still looks like you, you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate.

For help, contact your local district or borough council. Find their contact details by entering your postcode in the Electoral Commission’s website.

Or call the Electoral Commission helpline on 0800 328 0280.

Find out who is standing for election in your local area by visiting our website.

Polling stations open from 7am until 10pm on Thursday 7 May.

Votes will then be counted by district and borough councils at six different locations on Friday 8 May.

We will publish the results for each county council electoral division as soon as we receive them.