When Will Voters On The Isle Of Wight Head To The Polls?

After a week of political reshuffling, residents across the Isle of Wight are asking the same question — when are the next local elections?

A range of elections across the UK are still scheduled for May 2026, including votes for unitary authorities, county councils, district councils and several directly elected mayors.

However, the Labour government has confirmed that some mayoral elections — including those planned for Hampshire — will now be pushed back to 2028.

Local Government Secretary Steve Reed said the delay is designed to give devolved areas a “strong foundation” and ensure the right structures are in place before mayoral powers are introduced.

The decision does not affect any other elections set for May 2026.

What happened to the 2025 local elections?

Local elections that were due to take place in May 2025 were previously postponed to support the wider devolution programme.

At the time, the Government said the delay was necessary because new Combined County Authorities, first-time mayoral elections and local government restructuring were all happening simultaneously.

Reports suggested some county council leaders wanted another delay — but Hampshire County Council’s leader, Nick Adams-King, said he strongly opposed the idea.

He told the Local Democracy Reporting Service:

“I have not, and will not, ask for an election postponement…

"While any new council will only sit for two years, I believe elections should still proceed.”

What’s still happening in May 2026?

Despite shifting timelines for devolution, the following elections are still going ahead as planned in May 2026:

• Hampshire County Council

• Isle of Wight Council

• Southampton City Council

• Portsmouth City Council

• District and borough councils including Fareham, Gosport, Basingstoke and Deane, Eastleigh, Hart, Havant, Rushmoor and Winchester

More information about polling stations and local arrangements will be released closer to the time.