Leigh ward votes for one city councillor on Thursday 10 December. Register by midnight on 24 November and apply for a postal vote by 5pm on 25 November.

Voters in Leigh ward will elect a new Southend city councillor on Thursday 10 December, if more than one candidate stands. Polls open from 7am to 10pm. The council published the formal Notice of Election on Thursday 5 November (Notice of Election).

One seat is being filled. The council’s councillor list shows three councillors in each of the city’s 17 wards except Leigh, which now has two: Anita Forde and Richard Longstaff, both of the Green Party (Southend-on-Sea City Council councillors by ward). Neither the notice nor the council’s announcement says how the vacancy arose (Southend-on-Sea City Council).

This is a city council seat. It is separate from Leigh-on-Sea Town Council, which posts its own vacancies on its website.

The dates that matter

The council’s timetable for the election sets these deadlines (candidates and agents information):

Deadline What
4pm, Friday 13 November Nominations close
By 4pm, Monday 16 November List of candidates published
Midnight, Tuesday 24 November Register to vote
5pm, Wednesday 25 November Apply for a postal vote, or change an existing postal or proxy vote
By Wednesday 2 December Notice of poll and polling station locations published
5pm, Wednesday 2 December Apply for a proxy vote or a Voter Authority Certificate
7am to 10pm, Thursday 10 December Polling day
5pm, Thursday 10 December Emergency proxy, for illness or work that arises after 5pm on 2 December

The council will post the candidates on its election notices page. If only one valid nomination is made, that person is elected without a vote, which is why the notice says the poll takes place “if any election is contested”.

Bring photo ID

You need accepted photo ID to vote at a polling station. Out-of-date ID is accepted “so long as the photograph is still a good likeness”, the council’s guidance to candidates says. If you have none, apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate by 5pm on 2 December.

Standing as a candidate

Nomination papers are available from the Returning Officer at the Civic Centre, Victoria Avenue, from 9am to 4pm on weekdays. They must be delivered to Electoral Services in person by 4pm on Friday 13 November. The notice says they must not be handed in at reception or left with reception staff.

The council’s pack sets out who can stand. A candidate must be at least 18 and a British, qualifying Commonwealth or eligible EU citizen. They must also have a link to Southend, such as:

  • being registered to vote in the city
  • living in the city for the past 12 months
  • working mainly in the city for the past 12 months
  • owning or renting land or premises in the city for the whole of the past 12 months

People employed by the council cannot stand.

What it means for you

  • If you live in Leigh ward, check you are registered at gov.uk/register-to-vote before midnight on 24 November.
  • If you will be away in December, apply for a postal vote by 5pm on 25 November, or a proxy by 5pm on 2 December.
  • If you are not sure which ward you are in, your poll card will tell you, and the council’s Elections 2026 page explains when cards go out.

Returning Officer Colin Ansell said: “Whether voting in person, by post or by proxy, it’s important to make any necessary arrangements in good time to ensure your vote can be counted.”

The election comes as the council prepares for its own replacement under local government reorganisation, which we covered in Southend council reorganisation. Our council tax bands page shows what the council charges in each band.

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