A by-election will be held to fill a vacancy on Havant Borough Council for the Emsworth Ward on Thursday 19 November 2026 following the resignation of Councillor Charles Roberts.
Nomination of Candidates: deadline for prospective candidates to submit nomination paper: 4pm Friday 23 October 2026
Register to Vote: deadline midnight on Tuesday 3 November 2026
Apply to Vote by Post: deadline 5pm on Wednesday 4 November 2026
Apply to Vote by Proxy: deadline 5pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026
Apply for Voter Authority Certificate: deadline 5pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026
Polling Day: 7am to 10pm on Thursday 19 November 2026
Notice of Election (word 42.51 kb)
This guidance is for candidates and agents of Emsworth Ward by-election, 19 November 2026. Please read the following guidance –
Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England | Electoral Commission
You are encouraged to refer to the guidance when completing the nomination paper and throughout your campaign.
A briefing session for potential candidates and agents to cover the election process, as well as key events in the electoral calendar including polling day and the count, will take place on Friday 16 October at 16.00pm please email elections.office@havant.gov.uk so a link can be sent.
Nomination Packs - please contact the team at elections.office@havant.gov.uk or call 02392 446225 for a pack.
Register to vote -
To vote in the election on Thursday 19 November 2026, you must be a registered elector in the ward of EMSWORTH. To register, please go to www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
The deadline to be registered in time for 19 November 2026 is MIDNIGHT Tuesday 3 November 2026.
Apply for a Postal or Proxy vote –
You can apply for a postal vote online at apply for a postal vote.
You won't need to present any ID as your identification is verified by your signature and date of birth on your postal voting statement compared to your signature and date of birth on your postal vote application form.
When you apply for a postal vote, you will need to provide proof of your identity. Applications will require ID verification (DOB, National Insurance Number and Signature)
The deadline to apply to vote by post OR cancel and amend an existing arrangement is 5pm on Wednesday 4 November 2026.
If you are unable to vote in person you can ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf. This is called a proxy vote.
There are different forms depending on the reason that you need a proxy vote.
The easiest way to apply for a postal vote is online at Apply for a proxy vote.
There is a limit to the number of people that can act as a proxy and voters would be limited to acting as a proxy for two people, regardless of their relationship. However, anyone voting on behalf of UK voters who live overseas could act as a proxy for up to four people.
The deadline to appoint a proxy is 5pm on Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Voter ID information –
The UK Government introduced legislation in 2022 requiring electors who vote at a polling station to show photographic identification (ID) before being given a ballot paper to vote.
For more information - including a full list of accepted forms of photographic ID - visit: Accepted forms of photo ID | Electoral Commission.
If your photo ID has expired, you can still use it if the photo remains a good likeness of you. But only original documents will be accepted; scanned images or copies will not be accepted.
If you or someone you know doesn't have one of these forms of photo ID available to use, then you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate to use as your photo ID at the election instead. It will last for around 10 years and can be used for all elections during that time.
You can apply for your free voter authority certificate online at Apply for photo ID to vote.
The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm Wednesday 11 November 2026.
Postal Vote handling –
When voting by post, you should follow the instructions provided closely:
You can watch a short video on how to complete your postal vote on our YouTube channel.
If you are too late to post your ballot papers -
Take your completed and sealed postal vote pack to your local polling station by 10pm, or the council offices before it closes.
Only voters, a family member or a designated carer will be able to hand in a postal vote pack. If you choose to hand in a postal pack to a polling station or a member of staff authorised to receive it, you will need to complete a Postal Vote Return Form.
There is also limit on the number of postal vote packs that you can hand in at a polling station or to an authorised person. Voters will not be allowed to hand in more than five postal vote packs (in addition to their own).
What will happen at the polling station?
Which forms of ID can I use to vote?
Applying for a Voter Authority Certificate
Elections are a democratic process conducted strictly in accordance with a statutory timetable, which is published at the time the election is called.
The Returning Officer who is appointed by the Council and in the case of Havant is also the Chief Executive Officer; is responsible for the conduct of elections and referenda held within the borough boundary; these include but are not limited to:
Parliamentary Election
General elections (elections to the UK Parliament) must be held within 5 years. However, the Government may hold the Parliamentary Election at any time within the five-year period, upon dissolution of Parliament. There is one MP per constituency.
Following 2023 Parliamentary Boundary Review, conducted by the Boundary Commission for England (BCE) there are 2 Constituencies within the Havant area: Havant and Fareham & Waterlooville. The last Parliamentary Elections were held on Thursday 4 July 2024
There are 650 Members of Parliament (MPs) in the UK Parliament.
You can find your Local MP at: Find MPs - MPs and Lords - UK Parliament
Local Government Election
There are 12 Wards in Havant each represented by 36 Councillors. Havant Borough Council elect one third of the local councillors every 3 years and hold no election on the 4th year – this is known as a ‘Fallow year’. This means one councillor from each ward retires each election year. The last Borough elections were held on Thursday 7 May 2026.
You can find out who your Borough Councillors are by visiting Your Councillors | Havant Borough Council.
Hampshire County Council - Local Government Election
Hampshire County Council elect all the local councillors every 4 years. The area of Havant Borough is represented by 6 county councillors. The last elections were held on Thursday 7 May 2026.
You can find out who your County Councillors are by visiting: Your Councillors | Hampshire County Council
Police and Crime Commissioner Election
Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) make sure that the local police in their area are meeting the needs of the community.
There are 39 police areas across England and Wales with a PCC. Each area has one commissioner and take place every four years.
Police and Crime Commissioner elections will use first-past-the-post voting system.
The governing body in charge of conducting these elections across the UK appoint Regional or Police Area Returning Officers (PAROs). In recent years, the Returning Officer for Southampton City Council has also been appointed as the PARO for the local area.
More information on Police and Crime Commissioners can be found by visiting the Electoral Commission website at: Police and Crime Commissioners | Electoral Commission
The last Police and Crime Commissioner election for the Hampshire Police Authority took place on Thursday 2 May 2024.
By-election
By-elections are held when required. If an elected member is no longer available to represent the electorate, a by-election can be called at any time for all types of elections.
By-elections can be called for several reasons, such as:
The statutory timetable for by-elections is the same as the timetable used for the relevant main election. This will be published at the time an election is called.
Referenda
A referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate of an area is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may be the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy.
The referendum is a form of direct democracy and is governed by The Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000.
View the annual Local Authorities (Referendums)(Petitions)(England) Regulations 2011 notice, containing the numbers that is equal to 5% of the number of local government electors for each Hampshire area, as of 15 February 2025.