How council elections work
London Boroughs, like Bromley, are split up into areas called wards.
Each ward has a set number of council seats to fill.
You can vote for the same number of people as there are seats.
You can vote for candidates from one party, a mix of parties, or independent councillors who are not joined to any political party.
When candidates are elected, they become councillors.
In the London Borough of Bromley, the council leader is usually chosen by the political group with the most councillors.
However, if no political group has a majority (more than half the seats), different groups may work together or form agreements to choose a council leader. This is called “no overall control”.
To find out who the candidates are in your area, enter your postcode on this website: https://whocanivotefor.co.uk/.
Registering to vote
To vote in the local elections, you must be registered to vote by Monday 20th April 2026.
You can check if you are already registered to vote by contacting your electoral registration office (click to find contact details).
Find out more about who can register to vote (click to download Easy Read guide for England).
You can apply to register to vote by visiting this website: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
You normally only need to register once – not for every election. You will need to register again if you have changed your name, address or nationality (the country you belong to).
You can also register using a paper form (click to download form) in England.
You will need to print, fill in and send the form to your electoral registration office (click to find your local electoral registration office).
Voting in person
You can vote in person at a polling station (usually in a public building such as a school or local hall).
You will be sent a poll card just before an election telling you when to vote and at which polling station.
You can only vote at the polling station location on your card.
Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on the day of an election (‘polling day’).
You do not have to take your polling card with you to vote.
Polling day for the 2026 local elections is Thursday 7th May 2026.
At the polling station, give your name and address to the staff inside the polling station when you arrive.
You will need to show your photo ID (more info below) to confirm your identity.
You will also be given a ballot paper containing a list of options you can vote for.
Follow the instructions on the notices in the polling booth and on the top of the ballot paper to vote.
You can contact your electoral registration office (click to find contact details) for polling station accessibility information, such as wheelchair ramps and low level polling booths.
Voter ID
You will need to show photo ID when voting in person (click for list of accepted ID).
If you do not have photo ID, you will need to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate to use as photo ID when you vote. These are free.
You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by visiting this website: www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate.
There is an Easy Read guide for applying online for a Voter Authority Certificate (click here to read).
You can also apply for a Voter Authority Certificate by contacting your council.
Bromley Council:
- Address: Bromley Civic Centre, Churchill Court, 2 Westmoreland Road, Bromley, BR1 1AS
- Telephone: 0300 303 8665
- Email: electoral@bromley.gov.uk
The deadline for new applications for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm on Tuesday 28th April 2026.
Voting by post
Anyone can apply for a postal vote – you don’t need a special reason for wanting one.
The deadline for new applications to vote by post is 5pm on Tuesday 21st April 2026.
You can apply online for a postal vote: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote.
There is an Easy Read guide for applying for a postal vote online (click here to read).
You can also apply by post (download form). Send the form to your electoral registration office (click to find contact details). You can also contact them for help, e.g. if you cannot sign a printed form.
After you apply, you will be sent a postal vote ballot pack containing a ballot paper and a postal voting statement.
Return your completed postal vote ballot pack as quickly as possible to make sure your postal vote is counted.
Voting by proxy
If you are unable to vote in person, you can get someone to vote for you and tell them who to vote for. This is called a proxy vote.
You can ask anyone to act as your proxy as long as they:
- are registered to vote
- are allowed to vote in the type of election taking place
- can vote in the polling station stated on your poll card.
They will need to take their own photo ID (click for list of accepted ID) with them to vote.
You can apply online for a proxy vote: www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote.
There is an Easy Read guide for applying for a proxy vote online (click here to read).
You can also apply by post (download form). There are different forms depending on why you can’t get to the polling station. Send the form to your electoral registration office (click to find contact details).
The deadline for new applications for proxy votes is 5pm on Tuesday 28th April 2026.
However, there is also an emergency proxy vote, e.g. due to a medical emergency: www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/voting-by-proxy. You have until 5pm on polling day to apply.