Gloucestershire County Council elections 1 May 2025

On 1 May 2025, elections will take place for Gloucestershire County Council. Cheltenham Borough Council is responsible for holding elections for the 10 county divisions in Cheltenham, each of which are represented by one councillor. This page will be updated as more information becomes available.

Visit our types of election pages for information on how each type of election works.

Standing as a candidate

You must meet certain criteria to stand as a candidate for public office. The Electoral Commission has published candidate guidance and information for each type of election:

You can find out more information on being a councillor on the Local Government Association website.

Nomination papers can be submitted each working day from 25 March to 2 April 2025 between 10am and 4pm. Please contact the office on 01242 264132 or email [email protected] to arrange an appointment.

How to vote

To vote in these elections you need to be registered. Applications to register to vote must reach Cheltenham Borough Council, Municipal Offices, Promenade, GL50 9SA by Friday 11 April 2025. To register to vote please visit GOV UK website.

If you want to vote in person, including those acting as a proxy on behalf of another individual, you will need to bring an accepted form of identification (ID) to the polling station to get your ballot papers. Voters who do not produce valid photo identification or a Voter Authority Certificate will not be allowed to vote on the day. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate is 5pm Wednesday 23 April 2025.

Alternatively, you can request to vote by post, instead of going to a polling station. The quickest and simplest way is to apply for a postal vote online. All applications, both online and paper, will require an identity check as part of the application process. To verify your identity, you will need to provide your date of birth and National Insurance number. Postal vote applications, postal proxy applications, amendments or cancellations must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, Cheltenham Borough Council by 5pm on Monday 14 April 2025.

You can vote by proxy if you are unable to get to the polling station. Voting by proxy means you can appoint someone you trust to vote on your behalf. Applications to vote by proxy at these elections must reach the Electoral Registration Officer, Cheltenham Borough Council by 5pm on Wednesday 23 April 2025.

In certain circumstances, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy if you find out after the deadline to apply for a proxy vote that you cannot go to the polling station on 1 May 2025. Applications to vote by emergency proxy must be returned to the Electoral Registration Officer, Cheltenham Borough Council by 5pm on Thursday 1 May 2025.