Hertsmere Borough Council has published details of the candidates nominated for the Bentley Heath & The Royds by-election, which takes place on Thursday 7 May.
Details of the candidates can be found at: https://www.hertsmere.gov.uk/your-council/elections/hertsmere-by-election-may-2026
Residents must be registered electors to vote in the Bentley Heath & The Royds ward in order to vote.
If you have not yet registered, have recently moved house or recently turned 18, you will need to register by midnight on Monday 20 April to be able to vote. It takes just five minutes to apply online at: www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.
Anyone unsure if they are registered to vote or wants a hard copy of any of the application forms can call 020 8207 7481 or email elections@hertsmere.gov.uk
Residents have to bring photo ID to vote at a polling station, which could include a passport, driving licence, blue badge, national identity card or an identity card with a PASS mark.
Residents who don’t have an accepted form of photo ID can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate either online or via a paper form. The deadline to apply is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April. To find out what ID is accepted, for more information on voter ID or how to apply for the Voter Authority Certificate, please visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/voterID or contact the council on 020 8207 7481.
Voting in person at a polling station
Poll cards tell you your polling station location. You can only vote at your allocated polling station. If your poll card is misplaced, you can find your allocated polling station at: wheredoivote.co.uk or contact the Electoral Services team on 020 8207 7481 or email elections@hertsmere.gov.uk.
Remember, you must have valid photo ID to vote at your polling station this election. If you haven't checked your ID, please do that now. To find out what ID is accepted or for more information on voter ID, please visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/voterID or contact us on 020 8207 7481.
Voting by post
To vote by post you need to apply, with forms completed and returned to Hertsmere Borough Council by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April. To apply for a postal vote, please visit: www.gov.uk/apply-postal-vote
If you are registered for a postal vote, you will be sent your ballot paper approximately 10 days before the election. You will need to complete it and return to us by 10pm on Thursday 7 May.
Please be aware that voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal ballot packs (in addition to their own). If a postal ballot pack is handed in at a polling station or the Civic Offices, a separate form must be completed with an authorised officer in order to be accepted. We advise you to ensure your postal ballot pack is completed and sent back via a pre-paid envelope for Royal Mail to avoid any rejected postal ballots.
Voting by proxy
If you are unable to go to your polling station on election day, you can register for a proxy vote, whereby someone you have given authority to can go and vote on your behalf. You can now apply online for some types of proxy vote. When applying, you need to prove your identity by providing your National Insurance number.
There are limits to how many people a voter can act as a proxy for. This means you can only act as a proxy for two people living in the UK. If you act as a proxy for people living overseas, you can act as proxy for up to four people but only two of these can be based in the UK.
To vote by proxy, you will need to have completed an application by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April. To apply for a proxy vote, please visit: www.gov.uk/apply-proxy-vote
All nominated proxies must have their own voter ID to vote on your behalf. For more information, please visit www.hertsmere.gov.uk/VoterID or contact us on 020 8207 7481.
You can find out more about ways to vote at: www.hertsmere.gov.uk/ways-to-vote
For more information read here : Hertsmere By-Election May 2026 - Hertsmere Borough Council (opens in new tab)