Voters in Cambridge will be among the first in the country to trial a more flexible way of voting in person at the local elections on Thursday 7 May 2026, as part of a new Government-backed pilot.

Cambridge City Council has been selected as one of only five local authorities to test “early voting” – giving voters the opportunity to cast their vote in person on additional days before polling day, not just on Thursday 7 May.

For the 2026 city council elections, early voting will be available on Thursday 30 April, Friday 1 May and Saturday 2 May.

Voters will also be able to choose where they vote during the early voting trial, with three voting hubs in the city located at The Guildhall in the city centre, the Meadows Community Centre in the north of the city, and the Clay Farm Centre in the south. Early voting hubs will be open between 9am and 6pm on each of the three early voting days, and any elector can vote in any hub.

The early voting pilot will use approved and secure digital technology to ensure that no one is able to vote more than once.

The pilots are part of the Government’s commitment to encourage greater participation in democracy by modernising the voting experience, while keeping elections secure, transparent and trusted.

Under the pilot, eligible voters in Cambridge will still be able to vote in the usual way at their allocated polling station on polling day, Thursday 7 May 2026.

Postal and proxy voting will also continue to be available in the normal way.

Robert Pollock, Returning Officer for Cambridge, said: “We would like to give our residents more choice in how they vote, while keeping all the safeguards that make our elections secure and trustworthy. We all have busy lives that can make it harder for some people to get to a polling station on one specific day. I hope the early voting pilot, will give more people, more opportunities to participate in our local democracy.”

Vicky Jenner, Electoral Services Manager, said: “We are working closely with the Government and our suppliers to plan, deliver and evaluate this pilot, with a clear focus on maintaining the security and integrity of the poll. We’re excited for Cambridge to be at the forefront of these changes to the way we vote, and for our residents to be among the first in the country to take part.”

For more information on the early voting pilot, and important election deadlines, visit www.cambridge.gov.uk/early-voting