Current and future elections

Details of upcoming elections

Elections in Tewkesbury Borough 2026

This year is what’s known as a fallow year for Tewkesbury Borough Council, which means we don’t have any scheduled elections taking place on 7 May.

This is part of the normal local election cycle. We elect all our 38 councillors every four years. Our next scheduled polls are due to take place on 6 May 2027 – but these may be replaced by elections for a new shadow unitary authority if local government reorganisation goes ahead in Gloucestershire. There are also parish/town council elections scheduled on that date.

You may see/have seen information online or in the media about elections in neighbouring areas and be wondering why there’s nothing about elections here. This is completely normal, as different areas vote in different years.

Note: the only major elections taking place in Gloucestershire on 7 May 2026 relate to the Cheltenham Borough area, where half of the council seats are up for election.

Details of any vacancies, notices and forthcoming elections will be made available on this page once published.

Elections for all Borough Council seats are held every four years. The next scheduled elections will be on Thursday 6 May 2027.
Elections for all Parish and Town Council seats are held every four years. The next scheduled elections will be on Thursday 6 May 2027.
Election for the Police and Crime Commissioner for Gloucestershire is due to be held in May 2028.
Elections for Members of Parliament must be held no later than 15 August 2029.

Woodmancote Parish Council By-Election - Thursday 16 April 2026

Notices

The formal Notice of Election published on Tuesday 10 March 2026 is available to view/download here:

Notice of Election – Woodmancote Parish Council

Update as at 19 March 2026

No nominations were received for this election. In the circumstances an election will not be required on Thursday 16 April 2026. The formal Statement of Persons Nominated published on Thursday 19 March 2026 is available to view/download here:

Statement of Persons Nominated_Woodmancote Parish

A further election will be required for the vacancy. The election date must fall within a period of 35 working days from the date on which the original election would have been held (i.e. 16 April). Once a date has been fixed, the new process will begin with the publication of a Notice of Election, and the invitation of nominations.

Ways to vote at an Election

In person

If you are registered and eligible to vote, you can vote in person at the polling station. We will send a poll card prior to an election telling you where your polling station is located and what photographic ID you can use to vote. You can only vote at the polling station location on your card.

When you arrive at the polling station, give your name and address to the election staff on duty inside the polling station and show them your ID. You will then be given a ballot paper containing a list of the people seeking election and how many candidates you can vote for. Go to one of the polling booths and mark your ballot paper(s) in secrecy. Fold your completed ballot paper(s) and place it/them in the ballot box.

If you do not receive a poll card at election time but think you should, contact Electoral Services. Please note that you do not need to take your poll card with you to the polling station to be able to vote.

By post

If you are registered to vote you can apply for a postal vote.

How to apply to vote by post

You can apply online – this is probably the quickest and easiest way to apply.
If you do not have the option to apply online, or would prefer to apply via a paper application, you can download a form. Please print, complete and return the form via post or by hand to Electoral Services, Tewkesbury Borough Council, Council Offices, Gloucester Road, Tewkesbury, Glos. GL20 5TT. We will also accept a scanned copy of your form by email (elections@tewkesbury.gov.uk) if it is of a sufficient quality for processing purposes.
If you are unable to download/print the application form, contact Electoral Services to arrange for a paper form to be sent.

When making your application you will need to prove your identity by providing your date of birth, National Insurance Number and signature (online applications will require an uploaded image of your usual signature).

You can apply for a postal vote for a particular election, a specific time period or for a maximum of three years (after which you will need to re-apply).

You must also re-apply if you move house or change your name.

Please note that deadlines apply if you decide to apply for, amend or cancel a postal vote in the run-up to an election. Therefore, please ensure that you make any application promptly, or that you contact us immediately if your circumstances change.

By proxy

If are registered to vote but know that you won’t be able to get to your polling station on polling day you can apply for a proxy vote i.e., someone you trust is appointed to cast your vote for you.

How to apply to vote by proxy

When making your application you will need to prove your identity by providing your date of birth, National Insurance number and signature on your application form. You will also need to provide contact details for your proxy, including the address at which they are registered to vote.

Your proxy should:

be over the age of 18
be registered to vote
be allowed to vote in the type of election taking place
be someone you trust to vote on your behalf.

Your proxy does not have to be related to you.

Your proxy must be able to vote for you at your specified polling station. If this is not possible, they may want to apply to vote for you by post. Your proxy will need to contact Electoral Services to obtain the postal proxy vote application form.

At the same election, someone can only be a proxy for two people based in the UK. If they are acting as proxy for people living overseas, they can act as proxy for up to four people but only two of these can be based in the UK.

You can choose to apply for a proxy vote for a particular election, a particular type of election, or all elections you are eligible to vote in.

If you’re applying to vote by proxy for a particular election, or if you live overseas or are a service voter, you can apply online – this is probably the quickest and easiest way to apply.
If you want to apply for a proxy vote for a particular type of election only (for example, for council elections), you will need to contact the Electoral Services Team for an application form.
Applications to vote by proxy for all other reasons can only be made by completing a paper form. This is due to the requirement for the application to be supported by an attestation.

You can apply for a proxy vote if you won’t be able to go the polling station for the foreseeable future or a long period of time – up to a maximum of three years. Situations that can be covered include: