Residents in Bournemouth, Broadstone and Poole will soon have the chance to elect representatives to their brand-new town councils.
These councils will give your community a stronger voice, empowering local people to influence decisions on:
- high streets and local shopping areas
- community events and festivals
- Christmas lights and seasonal celebrations
- local facilities and neighbourhood priorities
The elections will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
Voting
To be eligible to vote in this election you must:
- be registered to vote
- be 18 or over on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
- be resident at an address in Bournemouth, Broadstone or Poole
- not be legally excluded from voting
- be a British or Irish citizen
You can also vote if you have permission to enter or stay in the UK - or you do not need permission - and you’re a:
- Commonwealth citizen
- citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain
- citizen of another EU country, if you have had permission to enter or stay - or not needed permission - since 31 December 2020, and this has continued without a break
If you are not already registered to vote, you must register by Monday 20 April to be eligible to vote in this election.
If you are unable to or do not want to vote in person (by visiting a polling station), then you can either:
- apply to vote by post (your application must be received by 5pm on 21 April 2026)
- apply to vote by proxy, appoint someone else to vote on your behalf (your application must be received by 5pm on 28 April 2026)
Photo ID you'll need to bring to a polling station
Voters will need to show photo ID to be eligible to vote in person and by proxy in this election.
If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a free voter ID document (known as a Voter Authority Certificate).
If you’re voting as someone’s proxy
You’ll need to take your own ID when you go to vote on someone else’s behalf. You do not need to take theirs.
Polling stations
Polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm on the day of an election (‘polling day’). There is no closure for lunch.
Some of the usual polling venues have not been made available to us this time, so please take note of your polling station address from your poll card as it may be different.
Standing as a candidate in the 2026 town council elections
Find out more about standing as a candidate in the town council elections.