Everything you need to know about the local elections

Here's everything you need to know about the upcoming local elections.

What elections are taking place and when 

On Thursday 1 May 2025, elections will take place for 98 Unitary Wiltshire Councillors and across the Parish and Town Councils in Wiltshire. There are 47 contested parish area elections taking place. 

The polls will be open from 7am - 10pm.

A full list of the contested and uncontested elections can be found in the election notices section of our local elections webpage.

The deadline to register to vote in these elections has now passed - if you're not already on the register then you are unable to vote on 1 May.  

Poll card and audible ballot papers

You should have received your poll card. This contains details about your local polling station, voter ID and much more.

If you're voting in a polling station on 1 May, please remember to bring the poll card with you if you can, as it will help speed up the process on arrival at the polling station. However, please don't worry if you forget it as you don't need it to vote. 

For those who need it, we also have audible ballot papers which are compatible with screen readers. More information at Audible ballot papers - Wiltshire Council.

 Polling stations 

There are 359 polling stations across the county. Not sure where you're local polling station is? Simply enter your postcode at Find your polling station | Where Do I Vote?. 

Voter ID 

If you are planning to vote in a polling station you must bring photo ID. If you don't have photo ID you won't be able to vote.

Accepted forms of photo ID include a driver's licence, a passport, a Voter Authority Certificate, and for the first time a veteran's card.  

For a full list of acceptable forms of ID please visit Accepted forms of photo ID | Electoral Commission. 

Postal votes  

Postal vote packs have been issued to those who have applied. If haven't been able to send your postal vote in the post, you can only hand it in at County Hall reception in Trowbridge (closes at 5pm) where you will be asked to fill out a form upon arrival.  

Alternatively, you can drop off your postal vote at your polling station on polling day (1 May) until 10pm, but please be mindful that polling stations will be busy and you will have some paperwork to complete.

Please don't put any postal votes put in the post boxes at Bourne Hill (Salisbury), County Hall (Trowbridge) or Monkton Park (Chippenham) as they will be rejected.

If you have put a cross in the wrong box on your postal vote, please cross out the incorrect vote and mark the candidate you want to vote for. Do not sign or initial your correction as this will invalidate your ballot. As long as your voting intention is clear then it will be counted. 

Candidates 

For more information on the candidates standing for election please visit Who Can I Vote For?. A list of local candidates can also be found at Local elections.  

Results

The results for the local elections will be confirmed throughout the day on Friday 2 May. You can keep up to date by following our Facebook and X social media feeds. An interactive map which will update as results are declared will be available at wiltshire.gov.uk. We will also issue a newsletter on Friday confirming the results.  

More information 
For more information, please visit Local elections.