Skip to main content

Due to unforeseen circumstances, we're experiencing delays to some bin collections at the moment. If your bin is due for collection, leave it out and we'll collect is as soon as possible. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.



Due to essential maintenance, My Services will be unavailable between 9am and 3pm on Sunday 4 June. Please accept our apologies for any inconvenience.

Elections and Referendums

Chapters in this topic

  1. Types of election and referendum
  2. Introduction to registering and voting
  3. Registering to vote
  4. Ways to vote
  5. Remove yourself from the open register
  6. Upcoming elections and referendums
  7. Previous elections and referendums

Previous elections and referendums

Swale Borough Council Local Elections

An election was held on 4 May, 2023 for 24 wards in Swale.

You can see the results of the Swale Borough Council elections online or download the Results Sheets.

Parish and Town Council Elections

Parish and Town Council elections were held on 4 May, 2023.

You can see the results of the parish and town council elections online or download the Results Sheets.

Kent County Council  By-Election for Sheppey

A By-Election was held for the Kent County Council Sheppey Division on 4 May, 2023.

You can see the results of the Kent County Council elections online or download the Results Sheet.

Boughton and Dunkirk Neighbourhood Plan

The Council agreed to proceed to a referendum on the Boughton and Dunkirk Neighbourhood Plan on 30 November 2022.

The referendum was held on Thursday 16 February, 2023.

Leysdown Parish Council By-election

A by-election will be held on Thursday 9 December, 2021 for two parish councillors for Leysdown Parish Council.

Registering to vote

If you're not already registered to vote and you're intending to vote in person, you must register by 12 midnight on Tuesday 23 November, 2021.

If you're intending to vote by post or by proxy, you must apply by:

  • 5pm on Wednesday 24 November if you're intending to vote by post
  • 5pm on Wednesday 1 December if you're intending to vote by proxy
  • 5pm on Thursday 9 December if you're using an emergency proxy vote because you can't get to your polling station because of unforeseen circumstances, including physical incapacity or work

If you're using an emergency proxy, any physical incapacity or work related reasons you can't attend your polling station must have occurred after 5pm on Wednesday 1 December, 2021.

Election notices

You can download the:

Priory Ward By-election

A by-election was held on Thursday 30 September, 2021 following the resignation of Councillor Benjamin Martin in the office of Borough Councillor for the Priory Ward of the Borough of Swale.

Election notices

You can download the:

Kent County Council elections

The following Kent County Council elections took place on Thursday 6 May, 2021:

  • Faversham, 1 vacant seat
  • Sheppey, 2 vacant seats
  • Sittingbourne North, 1 vacant seat
  • Sittingbourne South, 1 vacant seat
  • Swale East, 1 vacant seat
  • Swale West, 1 vacant seat

You can download the:

Kent Police and Crime Commissioner

The Kent Police and Crime Commissioner election took place on Thursday, 6 May 2021.

You can view the Statement or Persons Nominated, which lists the candidates, and the Notice of Election Agents on Dartford Borough Council's website.

You can download the:

Swale Borough Council – Sheerness Ward by-election

A Swale Borough Council by-election took place for Sheerness Ward on Thursday, 6 May 2021.

You can download the:

Town and Parish Council by-elections

The following town and council by-elections took place on Thursday, 6 May 2021:

  • Faversham Town Council (Abbey ward)
  • Faversham Town Council (Priory ward)
  • Faversham Town Council (Watling ward)

You can download the:

A by-election for Warden Parish Council was uncontested, and you can download the result (PDF 88kb).

December 2019 general election

A general election was held on Thursday 12 December, 2019.

23 May European Parliamentary election

A European Parliamentary election was held on Thursday 23 May, 2019.

2 May borough council elections

Borough council elections were held on Thursday, 2 May 2019.

  • Centre Progressive, no seats
  • Conservative, 16 seats
  • Green Party, 2 seats
  • Independent, 2 seats
  • Labour, 11 seats
  • Labour and Co-op, no seats
  • Liberal Democrats, 5 seats
  • Swale Independents, 10 seats
  • The Official Monster Raving Looney Party, no seats
  • UKIP, 1 seat

You can download declarations of the results including all 24 wards.

2 May parish and town council elections

Parish and Town Council elections were held on Thursday, 2 May 2019.

For more information about the 2 May 2019 parish and town council elections, including deadlines for registering to vote, you can visit the parish and town council elections page.

2 May Kent County Council by-election

A Kent County Council by-election was held on Thursday 2 May, 2019 for the Sittingbourne North county division, which covers Chalkwell, Kemsley, Milton Regis and Murston wards.

Selling Parish Council by-election

A by-election for Selling Parish Council was held on Thursday 15 November 2018. You can download the Declaration of the result (PDF 10kb).

You can read the Notice of Election here.

You can read the statement of persons nominated here (PDF 11kb).

Sheppey East Borough Ward by-election results are now available to download.

The deadline for nominations for Sheppey East Borough Ward has now passed. For more information on the nominations, you can read the Appointment of Election Agents, Statement of Persons Nominated and Notice of Poll.

Milton Regis by-election

An election was held for a Borough Councillor for the Milton Regis Ward on Thursday, 3 August 2017.

Results

You can download the Declaration of result of poll for Milton Regis Ward.

General Election

A general election took place on Thursday, 8 June 2017.

Results

You can download the Declaration of result of poll for the general election.

Selling Parish Council

The Selling Parish Council election was held on Friday, 2 June 2017.

Results

The Selling Parish Council election was uncontested and you can view the result here.

Kent County Council elections

Elections for Kent County councillors took place on Thursday, 4 May 2017.

Results

The results for the Kent County Council elections are available on the Kent County Council website.

Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan referendum

The Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan referendum took place on Thursday, 4 May 2017.

The Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan referendum asked the question "Do you want Swale Borough Council to use the neighbourhood plan for Faversham Creek to help it decide planning applications in the neighbourhood area?".

Results

In favour: 5,418 (88%)
Not in favour: 706 (12%)

Faversham Town Council By-election

The Election of a Town Councillor for the Abbey Ward seat on Faversham Town Council took place on Thursday, 19 January 2017.

Results

You can download the Declaration of result of poll for Faversham Town Council - Abbey Ward

Leysdown Parish By-election

The Election for the election of a Parish Councillor for Leysdown Parish Council was held on Thursday, 21 July 2016.

You can download the Declaration of result of poll for the Leysdown Parish by-election.

EU Referendum

The referendum on whether the UK should stay in or leave the European Union took place on Thursday, 23 June 2016.

Results

There were 75,913 votes cast in Swale for the referendum from a total of 102,209 eligible electors, which represents a 74.27% turnout. There were 44 spoilt ballot papers.

The result for Swale were:

  • Remain in the EU - 28,481
  • Leave the EU - 47,388

Police and Crime Commissioner

The Police and Crime Commissioner for Kent Police election as held on Thursday, 5 May 2016.

Results

Matthew Richard Scott has been elected to serve as Police and Crime Commissioner for the Kent police area.

You can view the Kent count results on the Kent Police and Crime Commissioner Election website.

Warden Parish Council election

A poll for the above election on Thursday, 25 June 2015 between the hours of 7am and 10pm.

Bapchild and Stalisfield Parish Council elections

Bapchild and Stalisfield Parish council elections were uncontested and the results were as follows:

UK Parliamentary Elections

There are two Parliamentary constituencies in Swale: Sittingbourne and Sheppey, and Faversham and Mid Kent.

The count for the Parliamentary elections happened overnight on 7 May 2015.

The count for the Sittingbourne and Sheppey constituency was overseen by Swale Borough Council.

As only part of the Faversham and Mid Kent constituency falls within Swale, the count for this seat was managed by Maidstone Council.

Borough Elections

There are 24 wards across the Borough, which will elect the 47 councillors to sit on Swale Borough Council.

The count for the Borough elections happened on 8 May 2015.

Town and Parish elections

Elections also took place in areas of the Borough with Town and Parish Councils.

The count for the Parish and Town elections happened on 8 May 2015.

EU Parliamentary Elections 2014

Sittingbourne is part of the South East Region for European Elections. The regional office for the South East Region is based in Southampton.

An election was held on 22 May.

Further information about these elections can be viewed on The Electoral Commission website.

To view the results by country, visit the European Parliament's website.

You can download the:

Referendum on the voting system for UK parliamentary elections, 5 May 2011

As the Counting Officer for Borough of Swale Borough Council at the referendum held on 5 May 2011 under the Parliamentary Voting System and Constituencies Act 2011, I hereby give notice that I have certified the following to the Chief Counting Officer:

Results

  • The number of votes cast in favour of YES was 9634
  • The number of votes cast in favour of NO was 28948

The number of ballot papers rejected was as follows:

  • no official mark 0
  • voting for both answers to the question asked 11
  • writing or mark by which the voter could be identified 4
  • unmarked or void for uncertainty 154
  • Total rejected 169

Related pages

Previous Upcoming elections and referendums

We use cookies

Our website uses cookies to monitor the way you use it, helping to make your experience better. By continuing to use this site or clicking "accept cookies", you agree to our cookies. Cookie policy