UK to trial weekend voting and shopping centre polling stations
The UK government has announced pilot programs to modernise in-person voting for the May 2026 local elections, introducing weekend voting options and polling stations in high-traffic locations like shopping centres in select areas of England.
The trials, described as the first significant changes to polling practices in over 150 years, since the system was largely established in 1872, aim to make voting more convenient and accessible amid modern lifestyles, potentially boosting turnout in local elections.
Under the pilots, voters in four local authorities will gain greater flexibility in when and where they cast their ballots:
- In Milton Keynes, the city’s main shopping centre, centre:mk, will serve as a central voting hub on election day. Residents can vote there instead of being restricted to their assigned traditional polling station.
- In Cambridge, Tunbridge Wells, and North Hertfordshire, voters will have the option to vote in person ahead of polling day, including over the weekend, at designated central “voting hubs” such as the Guildhall in Cambridge’s city centre. Traditional polling stations will remain available on election day.
These changes are authorised under the government’s Representation of the People Bill and related electoral reforms, which also include lowering the voting age to 16 and stricter rules on political donations to counter foreign interference.
Government noted that security and integrity will be maintained through existing safeguards, robust technology, and support. Postal and proxy voting options continue unchanged.
“The way we vote in person has not adapted to people’s busy lives, with voters often given no choice but to cast their ballot at strictly set polling stations within limited hours,” said Minister for Democracy Samantha Dixon.
“Our trials will make polling days more convenient and test out the first real changes for over 100 years, bringing our democracy into the 21st century.”
