Braintree District Council Elections

Elections 2026

Upcoming and Past Elections

This page provides links to notices of election, candidate information and results for the current year.

May 2026

Essex County Council Elections - 7 May 2026

Elections will take place across the Braintree District on 7 May 2026 to elect Essex County Councillors.

Prospective Candidate Event

You can find more information about Essex County Council, including being an Essex County Councillor on the county council's website. On this page you can find information including a recording of a prospective candidate event, a candidate guide and other useful information. The county council are holding a further session for candidates on 10 April after nominations have closed, to register for this event visit: Registration for 2026 Essex County Council Prospective Candidate Event.

Candidate and Agents Briefings

Nomination process - Monday 23 March 2026 5pm-6pm

Polling Day and Count process - Monday 27 April 2026 5pm-6pm

Please contact elections@braintree.gov.uk to book a place on any of these briefing sessions

Nominations

Nominations for candidates wishing to stand must be submitted in person in accordance with the legal timetable.

Nominations should not be completed until after 1 March. Nomination papers can only be submitted in person from Monday 30 March up to until the legal deadline of Thursday 9 April. Daily from 10am to 4pm, excluding Easter when the offices are closed from Good Friday 3 April until Tuesday 7 April.

You should contact the Elections Team to make an appointment to submit your nominations.

See guidance on how to complete the nomination on an annotated nomination papers (PDF, 710 KB). Guidance on your campaign and how to stand for election can also be obtained from the Electoral Commission.

Any queries regarding nomination papers should be emailed to elections@braintree.gov.uk or call 01376 557760.

Notices

Notice of election - Essex County Council Councillors

Key Dates

Nomination Period - Monday 30 March to Thursday 9 April at 4pm - weekdays from 10am to 4pm.
Poll cards - 27 March 2026
Registration deadline - for those not already registered you have up to midnight on Monday 20 April.
Postal vote application deadline - anyone who wishes to vote by post and who has not already got a postal vote set up has until 5pm on Tuesday 21 April.
Postal ballot papers send out - 27 April 2026
Proxy vote application deadline - new applications for proxy vote - 5pm on Tuesday 28 April
Voter Authority Certificate deadline - anyone who has not got the legal required photo identification like a photo driving licence, passport, bus pass etc can apply up to 5pm on Tuesday 28 April

Joint Statement from Braintree District Council and Essex County Council: Poll cards error for Essex County Council elections on 7 May 2026 within the Braintree district division

We are aware that that the poll cards issued by Braintree District Council for the Essex County Council elections taking place on 7 May - that is for all ECC electoral divisions within the Braintree district - include an error. The poll cards should say that they are for the Essex County Council elections but instead refer to ‘election of councillors to Braintree District Council’.

The poll cards do correctly tell voters the name of their electoral area (misdescribed as a ward not a division) and the date, time and place when they can vote.

The May 7 elections are for Essex County Council. Braintree District Council and Essex County Council apologise for any confusion. The matter is being investigated by Braintree DC and their print supplier so we can ensure it does not happen again.

The poll card is just notification that an election is taking place. You don’t need to take it to the polling station. No one’s right to vote is affected by this error. Anyone with any concerns should contact elections@essex.gov.uk.

Postponed elections

Essex County Council Elections - Postponed

Essex County Council applied to the Government to cancel the County Council elections due in May 2025.

The planned elections did not go ahead in May 2025 and will take place in May 2026.

Mayor for Essex

Essex County Council (alongside Thurrock and Southend City Councils) has joined the Governement's Devolution Priority Programme' to introduce a directly-elected Mayor for Essex. These elections have been postponed until 2028.

Past Elections

Parish Councillor Elections

District Councillor Elections

Coggeshall Ward By-Election - March 2026

Coggeshall Ward By-Election Results - March 2026 - Elections

Notice of Election - District Councillor for Coggeshall

Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll - District Councillor for Coggeshall

Notice of Election Agents' Names and Offices - Coggeshall Ward By-Election

Notice of Poll - Coggeshall Ward By-Election

Elections

Electoral Registration Officer and Returning Officer

Address: Causeway House,
Bocking End,
Braintree,
Essex,
CM7 9HB

Telephone: 01376 552525

Email: elections@braintree.gov.uk