Early voting

Voters in Cambridge will be among the first in the country to trial a more flexible way of voting in person at the local elections on Thursday 7 May 2026, as part of a new Government-backed pilot.

This is a very welcome trial to make it easier to vote. Turnout in Cambridge is historically high compared to other areas of the country but could be much higher.

Cambridge City Council has been selected as one of only five local authorities to test “early voting” – giving voters the opportunity to cast their vote in person on additional days before polling day, not just on Thursday 7 May.

For the 2026 city council elections, early voting will be available on Thursday 30 April, Friday 1 May and Saturday 2 May.

Voters will also be able to choose where they vote during the early voting trial, with three voting hubs in the city located at The Guildhall in the city centre, the Meadows Community Centre in the north of the city, and the Clay Farm Centre in the south. Early voting hubs will be open between 9am and 6pm on each of the three early voting days, and any elector can vote in any hub.

The early voting pilot will use approved and secure digital technology to ensure that no one is able to vote more than once.

The pilots are part of the Government’s commitment to encourage greater participation in democracy by modernising the voting experience, while keeping elections secure, transparent and trusted.

Under the pilot, eligible voters in Cambridge will still be able to vote in the usual way at their allocated polling station on polling day, Thursday 7 May 2026.

Postal and proxy voting will also continue to be available in the normal way.

Find out more here: www.cambridge.gov.uk/early-voting