Everything you need to know ahead of 2026 borough and town council elections

On Thursday 7 May, borough residents will head to the polls as seats representing all 18 wards on Wokingham Borough Council are up for election. 

One seat will be contested in each ward, except in the Wokingham Without ward, where two seats will be contested after a vacancy was created following the resignation of a councillor.

The council normally elects 18 or one-third of its total of 54 councillors every year for three years. It holds no elections in the fourth or ‘fallow’ year.

There were no elections last year, but that was after in 2024 all 54 seats were contested following a review and restructure of the borough’s wards and ward boundaries.

On 7 May, three seats will also be contested on Wokingham Town Council, alongside a referendum with Charvil residents on the parish’s Neighbourhood Plan.

It’s also been confirmed today (10 April) that there have been uncontested elections in the borough on four parish councils: Arborfield and Newland, Remenham, Swallowfield and Wargrave.

Full details, including all candidates’ information, can be found on our website’s elections and voting pages.

Voting eligibility 

Borough residents aged 18 or over, who are registered to vote, can vote in person or apply to vote by post or by proxy (when you nominate someone to vote on your behalf).   

You can check your poll card for your details on how, where and when to vote. Remember, if you’re voting in person (when polling stations are open from 7am to 10pm), you must show valid photo ID when you do.  

Voting registration deadlines

• Midnight, Monday 20 April – the deadline to register to vote
• 5pm, Tuesday 21 April – the deadline to apply for a postal vote
• 5pm, Tuesday 28 April – the deadline to apply for a proxy vote
• 5pm, Tuesday 28 April – the deadline to apply for free photo ID to vote (called a Voter Authority Certificate)

Voting by post

Postal votes must now be renewed every three years. You would have been contacted if your postal vote had to be renewed, but was not, by 31 January 2026. You can check your poll card to confirm your voting arrangements and that they are correct. 

Postal voters will start receiving their voting packs from Thursday 16 April. If you haven’t received yours by 30 April, please contact our electoral services team. The best way to do that is by using the online form, but you can also telephone and email. If you email, remember to include your full name and address.

If you vote by post, but don’t post it in time, you can hand it in at the council’s offices in Shute End in Wokingham – or at your polling station. However, you will be asked to complete a form with a member of staff if you do. 

Alongside your own postal vote, you can hand in a maximum of five postal votes from other voters.   

If your postal ballot is lost, spoilt or damaged, you can request a replacement up to 5pm on polling day by getting in touch with our electoral services team. Always include your full name and address.

The elections count and results

The count for the borough, town and parish elections, and Charvil Neighbourhood Plan referendum is on Friday 8 May.

As soon as results are announced on 8 May, we’ll post and share them with you on our social media and here on our website.