Tunbridge Wells residents to trial weekend voting

Voters in parts of Tunbridge Wells will be trialling weekend voting when they head to the polls this spring for local elections.

Only a third of seats on Tunbridge Wells Borough Council are being contested in May. The borough council elects councillors in stages, with seats voted on in a rolling cycle.

That means roughly a third of councillors are elected each year for three years, followed by a year without borough elections.

Traditionally, elections in the UK are held on a Thursday. But the pilot scheme will allow residents to vote early at dedicated hubs over the weekend before polling day.

The borough is one of four places in England trialling weekend voting in a bid to boost turnout.

Polling stations will be set up at Royal Victoria Place shopping centre, Paddock Wood Community Centre and the Vestry Hall in Cranbrook.

Tunbridge Wells borough council is the only local authority with elections in Kent this year.

That is due to the way local councils run their election cycles.

In Tunbridge Wells 13 wards will go to the polls, including Cranbrook, Paddock Wood and Pembury.

The smaller number of seats being contested in 2026 is not because elections have been cancelled, but simply how the system works.

However, the vote could be among the last borough elections of its kind in Kent.

The government has set out plans to reorganise local government, replacing the current two-tier system of Kent County Council and district and borough councils with larger unitary authorities.

If the proposals go ahead, the changes could be introduced within the next two years, meaning future elections may be held for new councils covering larger areas.

Polling day itself for the Tunbridge Wells by election is May 7.

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