Tunbridge Wells Borough Council is taking part in a government pilot that will allow residents in Tunbridge Wells, Kent, to vote on the weekend during the local elections in May 2026. This change is designed to give people more flexibility to cast their ballots, particularly those with busy work schedules or childcare duties who find it difficult to visit a polling station on a weekday.
The council will open three voting hubs in Royal Tunbridge Wells, Paddock Wood, and Cranbrook for early voting on Saturday 2 May and Sunday 3 May 2026. These hubs will be open from 9 am to 6 pm on Saturday and from 10:30 am to 4:30 pm on Sunday, ahead of the usual polling day on Thursday 7 May 2026.
Voters using the weekend hubs will still be required to show a valid photo ID to cast their vote, according to the Electoral Commission. Tunbridge Wells is one of only four areas in the country testing this new system, joining Cambridge, North Hertfordshire, and Milton Keynes.
William Benson, the returning officer for the council, confirmed that these early voting hubs are just as secure as traditional polling stations. The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is managing the pilot to help decide if weekend voting should be rolled out nationwide for future elections.
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