Crawley Borough Council is urging all eligible residents to register to vote by midnight on Monday 20 April 2026, ahead of the local elections taking place on Thursday 7 May 2026. The Crawley Borough Council notes that the registration process is simple and takes approximately five minutes to complete online via GOV.UK. To register, residents will need their National Insurance number.
The upcoming vote follows a period of uncertainty regarding whether the elections would proceed. While the UK government originally proposed postponing elections in 30 council areas, including Crawley, a legal challenge led to a reversal of that decision on 16 February 2026. According to the Electoral Commission, these elections are now confirmed to go ahead as planned.
Residents are also reminded that voter identification is required to vote in person at polling stations. Those who do not possess an accepted form of photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate. Applications for this certificate must be submitted by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026.
These local elections may be among the final votes for the council in its current form. As part of a wider programme of local government reorganisation, West Sussex is expected to move toward a new unitary authority structure, with a new council anticipated to be elected in May 2027 and launched in April 2028.
About this article: This story was put together with the help of AI tools and checked by a real person on our team. We're a small crew trying to cover as much of the UK as we can on a limited budget. We're getting better every day - but we're not perfect yet. If something looks off, let us know. You're part of the process.
