Voter ID will be required from May 2023.
From May 2023 onwards, the Elections Act 2022 requires voters to show photographic identification at polling stations before they are given a ballot paper. View our Voter ID requirements web page for more information.
This page provides details of elections which are due to be held over the next few years.
If you would like to be notified of a future by-election, please complete our notification of a forthcoming by-election online form
Elections & Referendums 2025
East Sussex County Council
The government has decided to postpone county elections due in May 2025 in areas which are part of its priority programme for English devolution.
Ministers decided this was necessary to enable its ambitious programme of devolution and reorganisation of local government, including in East Sussex. It wants councils free to focus scarce resources on this democratic programme, including preparing for a mayoral election in May 2026 and for elections to new unitary councils.
It was the government’s view that the alternative would have been to hold elections to a body which is not expected to continue in its current form. This would have cost more than £1.5 million of public money.
Ministers emphasised there is well-established precedent for postponing elections to enable reorganisation, including in North Yorkshire, Cumbria, Somerset and Buckinghamshire.
Ministers will now bring legislation to parliament to enable the new election timetable.
Thursday 27 November 2025
By-elections have been called for vacancies on:
Forest Row Parish Council – Forest Row Ward – one seat
Hailsham Town Council – Hailsham West Ward – one seat
Nominations have now closed and the Statements of Persons Nominated can be viewed below.
The Forest Row Parish Council is uncontested. The Hailsham Town Council is contested and a poll will be held on Thursday 27 November 2025.
Key Dates | 
 | 
Process | 
Date | 
Publication of notice of election | 
Thursday 23 October | 
Candidate nomination period | 
Friday 24 October to Friday 31 October 4pm | 
Deadline for applications to register to vote | 
Tuesday 11 November | 
Deadline for new postal vote applications & changes to existing absent votes (postal & proxy) | 
Wednesday 12 November (5pm) | 
Poll Cards dispatched | 
Friday 7 November | 
Postal vote packs dispatched | 
From Friday 14 November | 
Deadline for new proxy vote applications | 
Wednesday 19 November (5pm) | 
Deadline for new applications for voter ID authority certificates | 
Wednesday 19 November (5pm) | 
Re-issue of lost, spoilt or not received postal packs | 
Friday 21 November to Thursday 27 November (5pm) | 
Polling day | 
Thursday 27 November 7am to 10pm | 
Verification and count | 
Thursday 27 November – after close of poll | 
Statement of Persons Nominated
Wealden District Council
Election of a Hailsham Town Councillor
The following is a statement of the persons nominated for election as a Town Councillor for
Hailsham West Ward
| 
 Name of Candidate (surname first)  | 
 Home Address  | 
 Description   | 
 Name of Proposer and Seconder  | 
 Reason why no longer nominated. Decision of the Returning Officer that the nomination is invalid or other reason why a person nominated no longer stands nominated. 
  | 
| 
 Caira Mickey  | 
 (address in Wealden)  | 
 Reform UK  | 
 Holland Robert D    | 
|
| 
 Clarke Emma Nicole  | 
 Little Downash Farm, Rickney Lane, Downash, Hailsham, BN27 2RN  | 
 Liberal Democrats  | 
 Turner Jacqueline    | 
|
| 
 Puttick John  | 
 145 The Diplocks, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 3JZ  | 
 Cornford Susan P    | 
||
| 
 Stevens Ali  | 
 (address in Wealden)  | 
 Green Party  | 
 Povey Neil S    | 
The persons above, where no entry is made in the last column, have been and stand validly nominated.
Dated Monday 3 November 2025
Trevor Scott
Returning Officer
Printed and published by the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX
Statement of Persons Nominated
Wealden District Council
Election of a Forest Row Parish Councillor
The following is a statement of the persons nominated for election as a Parish Councillor for
Forest Row Ward
| 
 Name of Candidate (surname first)  | 
 Home Address  | 
 Description   | 
 Name of Proposer and Seconder  | 
 Reason why no longer nominated. Decision of the Returning Officer that the nomination is invalid or other reason why a person nominated no longer stands nominated. 
  | 
| 
 Lewis Andrew Rice  | 
 Bower Farm, Hammerwood, East Grinstead, RH19 3QE  | 
 Wigley Theresa A    | 
The persons above, where no entry is made in the last column, have been and stand validly nominated.
Dated Monday 3 November 2025
Trevor Scott
Returning Officer
Printed and published by the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX
Notice Of Election
Wealden
Election of a Forest Row Parish Councillor
for the Parish Ward listed below
| 
 Parish Ward  | 
 Number of Parish Councillors to be elected  | 
| 
 Forest Row Ward  | 
 One  | 
- Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX on any day after the date of this notice, on Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm (excluding bank holidays) but no later than 4 pm on Friday, 31st October 2025.
 
- Nomination papers may be obtained from the offices of the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX, during the times stated above.
 
- If any election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 27th November
 
- Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Tuesday 11 November 2025. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
 
- Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes and amendments or cancellations of proxy votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX by 5pm on Wednesday, 12th November 2025.
 
- Applications for a Voter Authority Certificate or an Anonymous Elector’s Document valid for this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 19 November 2025. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
 
- New applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX by 5 pm on Wednesday, 19th November 2025.
 
- Applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX by 5pm on Thursday, 27th November 2025
 
Dated: Thursday 23 October 2025 Trevor Scott
Returning Officer
Printed and published by the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX
Notice Of Election
Wealden
Election of a Hailsham Town Councillor
for the Town Ward listed below
| 
 Town Ward  | 
 Number of Town Councillors to be elected  | 
| 
 Hailsham West Ward  | 
 One  | 
- Nomination papers must be delivered to the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX on any day after the date of this notice, on Monday to Friday 9 am to 5 pm (excluding bank holidays) but no later than 4 pm on Friday, 31st October 2025.
 
- Nomination papers may be obtained from the offices of the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX, during the times stated above.
 
- If any election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday, 27th November
 
- Applications to register to vote must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Tuesday 11 November 2025. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
 
- Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes and amendments or cancellations of proxy votes must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX by 5pm on Wednesday, 12th November 2025.
 
- Applications for a Voter Authority Certificate or an Anonymous Elector’s Document valid for this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer by 5pm on Wednesday 19 November 2025. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate
 
- New applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX by 5 pm on Wednesday, 19th November 2025.
 
- Applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election must reach the Electoral Registration Officer at The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX by 5pm on Thursday, 27th November 2025
 
Dated: Thursday 23 October 2025 Trevor Scott
Returning Officer
Printed and published by the Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX
Currently no referendums have been called.
Candidates & Agents
If you are looking to stand for the next election and are appointing agents, the link below provides guidance and resources to help you comply with the rules.
You will need to select the area under the ‘Where am I’ drop down, and then select the ‘Election Type.’ This will filter all the results below. Alternatively, you can us the search box to look for specific guidance/resources. It does also explain this on the link.
If you would like to find out what polling station you will be voting at, you can find this at Where do I Vote
