Milton Keynes City Council will host the UK’s first central voting hub at the Midsummer Place shopping centre during the local elections on 7 May 2026. This pilot project allows any registered voter in Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire, to cast their ballot in the city centre rather than being restricted to their usual local neighborhood polling station.
The trial is part of a project by the UK Government to make voting more convenient for residents who work, shop, or visit the central district. Milton Keynes is currently the only local authority in the country trialling a central hub where any resident can vote on election day itself.
A new digital system will be used at the shopping centre to check voter records instantly. This ensures that the process is secure and that nobody can vote twice by visiting both the central hub and their local polling station.
The May elections will also be the first held under brand-new local council boundaries. Every council seat is being contested this year following an increase in the number of local areas and councillors across the city.
