Future elections being held in Cheltenham

Borough council elections

On 16 February 2026 the government announced that it was withdrawing its decision to postpone Cheltenham’s borough council elections - which means elections will now take place, as originally planned. The elections had originally been postponed to enable the council to focus on preparations for local government reorganisation and work together before the first elections for a shadow authority. 

An election is held every two years to vote for one of your local borough councillors. On 7 May 2026, elections will take place for Cheltenham Borough Councillors alongside contested parish council elections.

Parish council elections

Elections for the below parish councils, where contested, will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026. This page will be updated with the relevant notices as more information becomes available.

Charlton Kings Parish Council

  • Charlton Kings North Ward
  • Charlton Kings South Ward
  • Charlton Kings West Ward

Leckhampton with Warden Hill Parish Council

  • Leckhampton Mead Ward
  • Leckhampton Village Ward
  • Leckhampton Undercliff Ward
  • Warden Hill Ward

 Prestbury Parish Council

  • Prestbury East Ward
  • Prestbury North Ward
  • Pittville Campus Ward
  • Prestbury West Ward

Swindon Parish Council

  • Swindon North Ward
  • Swindon South Ward

Up Hatherley Parish Council

  • Up Hatherley East Ward
  • Up Hatherley North 1 Ward
  • Up Hatherley North 2 Ward
  • Up Hatherley West Ward

Standing as a candidate

You must meet certain criteria to stand as a candidate for public office. You can find out more information on being a councillor on the Local Government Association website. The Electoral Commission has published candidate guidance and information for each type of election:

  • Parish council elections - information for candidates
  • Local government elections - information for candidates (covering Cheltenham Borough and Gloucestershire County Council)
  • Nomination packs will be available to collect from the Electoral Services Office in March 2026. Please contact the office on 01242 264132 or email [email protected] to arrange collection or if you prefer, we can email a set to you.
  • Completed nomination papers will need to be hand delivered to the Municipal Offices, Promenade, Cheltenham any working day from 30 March to 9 April 2026 between 10am and 4pm. You will need to make an appointment for informal checks and submission of papers. We strongly advise an informal check and delivery of papers to be carried out as early as possible. To make an appointment, email [email protected] or call 01242 264132.

 

How to vote

  • To vote in these elections you need to be registered. Applications to register to vote must reach Cheltenham Borough Council, Municipal Offices, Promenade, GL50 9SA by Monday 20 April 2026. To register to vote please visit GOV UK website. 
  • If you want to vote in person, including those acting as a proxy on behalf of another individual, you will need to bring an accepted form of identification (ID) to the polling station to get your ballot papers. Voters who do not produce a valid photo identification or Voter Authority Certificate will not be allowed to vote on the day. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm Tuesday 28 April 2026.
  • Alternatively, you can request to vote by post, instead of going to a polling station. The quickest and simplest way is to apply for a postal vote online. All applications, both online and paper, will require an identity check as part of the application process. To verify your identity, you will need to provide your date of birth, National Insurance number.Postal vote applications, postal proxy applications, amendments or cancellations must reach Cheltenham Borough Council by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026
  • You can vote by proxy if you are unable to get to the polling station. Voting by proxy means you can appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf. Applications to vote by proxy at these elections must reach Cheltenham Borough Council by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026.
  • You may be able to apply for an emergency proxy if you find out after the deadline to apply for a proxy vote that you cannot go to the polling station on 7 May 2026. Applications to vote by emergency proxy must be returned to Cheltenham Borough Council by 5pm on Thursday 7 May 2026.