Adur and Worthing residents reminded not to miss voting deadlines
Released: Thursday, 26 February 2026
With local elections now taking place this May, we are urging residents to act now to avoid running the risk of missing the deadline to register for postal voting or a voter authority certificate.
The maximum length of time a voter can hold a postal vote changed from indefinitely to a maximum period of three years in 2023, so residents are reminded to check they are still eligible. In Adur and Worthing around 9,000 postal votes have now expired because they have reached the three-year cut-off point.
The deadline to apply for a new postal vote or to make changes to an existing one for the Adur District Council and Worthing Borough Council elections in May is no later than 5pm on Tuesday 21st April 2026. However, residents are being urged to apply now to ensure that their forms are processed in time for the election, in case of a last-minute surge.
To find out more and apply, visit:
Residents that want to vote in person at a polling station, but who do not have an acceptable form of photo ID - such as a passport, driving licence and older persons' bus pass - can apply for a voter authority certificate which will do the same job.
The application form can be completed online, or a paper form can be requested from the councils' electoral services department by post, or picked up from Worthing Town Hall or The Shoreham Centre.
The deadline to submit an application in time for the local elections is 5pm on Tuesday 28th April 2026, but like postal votes residents are urged not to leave it until the last minute. To apply online, visit:
For more information about voter ID legislation, and to see a complete list of accepted forms of identification, see:
(PR26-023)
Page last updated: 09 March 2026