Make a plan to vote as registration deadline approaches

Cherwell residents who are not registered to vote are reminded that the deadline to register for the May elections is just a few days away.

Published: Wednesday, 15th April 2026

On Thursday, 7 May, electors will go to the polls to vote for their district councillors. The deadline to register to vote is Monday, 20 April.

Those already registered to vote at their current address do not need to re-register. But anyone who has moved home since they last registered to vote, changed their name, or recently turned 18 must register to vote before midnight on 20 April. To register to vote, people should visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

Gordon Stewart, Returning Officer, said: "Registering to vote is really quick and easy. The local elections are an important opportunity for residents to make their voices heard and have their say on who they want representing their communities. To cast your vote on 7 May, make sure you are registered to vote before midnight on 20 April."

To vote at a polling station, people must show a photo ID. This includes a passport, a driving licence, specific travel cards, and many other options. People can visit the Electoral Commission website to find out which IDs are accepted.

Voters without one of the accepted types of ID can apply for free ID online or by completing and submitting a paper form to Cherwell. These voters must apply by 5pm on 28 April to use their Voter Authority Certificates on 7 May.

Voters can vote in person, by post, or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 21 April. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is one week later, at 5pm on 28 April. Electors must already be registered to apply for a postal or proxy vote.

In May, there are scheduled elections to a third of the seats on Cherwell District Council. Two further seats will also be decided following the resignation of district councillors in the Banbury Calthorpe and Easington and Bicester West wards. Whilst 31 parishes across the district have scheduled elections, none of these are contested as there were fewer candidates than seats.

Electors can now see who is standing in district elections on the council's website. They can also access a range of helpful information about voting at a polling station, find their polling station, the voter ID requirement and postal and proxy voting.

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