Candidate lists for ECC election and Broomfield and the Walthams by-election in Chelmsford

A full list of Chelmsford candidates standing in the upcoming elections has been published today.

On Thursday 7 May, Chelmsford residents will vote for their representatives on Essex County Council. You can find the names and parties of all candidates listed on our website.

A by-election will also be held on the same day for the Broomfield and The Walthams ward on Chelmsford City Council. Details of the candidates for this by-election are available on our upcoming elections page.

Chelmsford City Council is not able to publish any additional information about candidates, but you can find out more on the independent Who can I vote for? website. This site is not managed by the council and the information provided may not be complete.

Poll card and postal vote deliveries

By now, registered voters should have received their poll card. For these elections, your poll card will be in the form of a letter, so look out for a clearly labelled envelope in the post. If you have not received your poll card, you can call the council’s Electoral Services team on 01245 606449 to check that you are registered to vote.

You will need to read your poll card carefully to check your voting arrangements as some polling stations may have changed since the last election. You do not need to take it with you to vote.

Postal vote packs

If you have applied to vote by post, we will start sending out voting packs on Thursday 16 April.

You might notice your postal voting pack looks a little different this year, with your ballot paper attached to your postal voting statement. This change is to help ensure that you receive all the documentation securely. Your pack will contain all the instructions you need to help you fill out your postal vote.

Don’t forget, you must return your postal vote to us by 10pm on election day for it to be counted.

Important election dates

Here’s a reminder of the deadlines you need to know to be voter ready for the elections:

Monday 20 April – register to vote 
You must be registered to vote to take part in these elections. You can register online via the gov.uk website.  

Tuesday 21 April – postal vote registration 
If you’ll be away or can’t get to the polling station on 7 May, you still have time to apply for a postal vote.

Tuesday 28 April – apply for a proxy vote
You can apply for a proxy vote if you need someone you trust to vote on your behalf.

Do you have approved photo ID?

You’ll need to show an accepted form of photo ID to vote in person on 7 May. There are lots of accepted forms of ID, including your passport, photocard driving licence, PASS approved ID card or a Blue Badge. Even if your ID has expired, polling staff can accept it as long as it still looks like you.

If you don’t have an accepted form of photo ID don’t worry; you can apply for a free voter ID document, known as a Voter Authority Certificate. Make sure you complete your application by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026 to ensure your Voter Authority Certificate is ready in time for the upcoming elections.

There is more information about elections on our website if you need it. Go to https://www.chelmsford.gov.uk/voting-and-elections/.