East Surrey Council Shadow Elections: 7 May 2026

On Thursday 7 May 2026, electors in Mole Valley will get the opportunity to vote for who they want to represent them on the new East Surrey Council.

Local authorities in Surrey are being reorganised into two Unitary Authorities: one for East Surrey and one for West Surrey. Mole Valley District Council will become part of the new East Surrey Council.

East Surrey Council will have 72 councillors and ward boundaries will be based on the recently updated county division boundaries. Electors will be able to vote for two councillors in their ward.

Existing district and county councillors will continue to represent their residents until 31 March 2027. East Surrey Council will start as a “Shadow Authority”, working in the background with existing councils to ensure a smooth transition of services before it legally takes over on 1 April 2027.

For more information on local government reorganisation and shadow authorities, please visit the Future Surrey website https://www.surreylgrhub.gov.uk/

A briefing for prospective candidates and agents will be held virtually (Microsoft Teams) at 6pm, Thursday 26 February 2026.

The session will cover key processes, important deadlines, and practical guidance to ensure everything runs smoothly. Attendees will have an opportunity to ask any questions they may have.

Please email electoral.registration@molevalley.gov.uk to register your interest and to receive the joining instructions for the briefing.

All registered electors, eligible to vote in this election, will receive a physical poll card. Poll Cards will be posted via 2nd Class post towards the end of March 2026.

Electors for whom we hold an email address will receive an email with the necessary details, in addition to the physical card.

Please note that you do not need a poll card to vote, as long as you are registered, however, it does speed up the process at the polling station if you take it with you.

If you have lost or misplaced your poll card, you can type in your postcode into the Where Do I Vote website https://wheredoivote.co.uk/ which will tell you where your polling station is located and the approximate distance from your registered address. It also provides directions for how you can get to your polling station.

All polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm. If there’s a queue at your polling station, you’ll still be able to vote as long as you joined the queue before 10pm.

You must be registered to vote to be able to participate in the upcoming elections.

If you are not currently registered to vote, the easiest way to do so is online via https://www.gov.uk/registertovote

A physical form can be requested from Electoral Services by phone, 01306 879198 or by email electoral.registration@molevalley.gov.uk

The deadline to register to vote, in time for this election, is midnight, Monday 20 April 2026.

The deadline to apply by post in time for this election is 5pm, Tuesday 21 April 2026.

Changes to existing postal voting arrangements must be communicated in writing (emails can be accepted) by the date above.

The easiest method to apply for a postal vote in online via https://www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote

A physical form can be requested from Electoral Services by phone, 01306 879198 or by email electoral.registration@molevalley.gov.uk

Postal ballot papers are usually despatched approximately 10 working days before an election. The despatch dates for the upcoming elections are to be confirmed.

We will have two despatches of postal ballot papers and we strongly encourage you to apply as early as possible to ensure your ballot paper is sent to you as early as possible.

The deadline to appoint a proxy in time for this election is 5pm, Tuesday 28 April 2026.

One-off proxy voting arrangements, i.e. for this election only, can be applied for online via https://www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote

Those requiring a physical form, or those that require long-term proxy voting arrangements should contact us on 01306 879198 or electoral.registration@molevalley.gov.uk

The name and address of your polling station is on your poll card. If you have lost or misplaced your poll card, you can type in your postcode into the Where Do I Vote website https://wheredoivote.co.uk/ which will tell you where your polling station is located and the approximate distance from your registered address. It also provides directions for how you can get to your polling station.

All polling stations open at 7am and close at 10pm. If there’s a queue at your polling station, you’ll still be able to vote as long as you joined the queue before 10pm.

Identification

Those going to a polling station to vote must take photographic identification with them.

The full list of accepted identification can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/voting-and-elections/voter-id/accepted-forms-photo-id

You can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate if you do not have an accepted form of photographic identification. A Voter Authority Certificate can be used in lieu of an ID document.

Voter Authority Certificate

The easiest method to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is online via https://www.gov.uk/apply-for-photo-id-voter-authority-certificate

A physical application form can be requested from Electoral Services on 01306 879198 or electoral.registration@molevalley.gov.uk

The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate, in time for this election, is 5pm, Tuesday 28 April 2026.

Please view our separate Accessibility at the Polling Station page for full details.
S1R1C1