Kensington and Chelsea Council is preparing for the May 2026 local elections, which will be the first to require voter identification under the Elections Act 2022. The Act also introduced tighter controls on postal and proxy voting and enhanced support for disabled voters.

The Administration Committee met on 17 November 2025 to discuss preparations. According to the Preparations for the May 2026 Borough Elections report, the council is taking steps to ensure a smooth and compliant election process. The report also notes that experiences from the elections held in 2024 has enabled the service to refine its approach to the implementation of mandatory photo identification, postal vote processing, and staff training.

Internal Audit gave the Electoral Services team substantial assurance in August 2025, noting that controls across all ten areas reviewed were either substantial or satisfactory. An Elections Board, led by Maxine Holdsworth, Chief Executive as Returning Officer, has been meeting monthly since September 2025 and will increase its frequency as the election approaches. The board reviews a risk register monthly, increasing to fortnightly in February and weekly in April.

The council is drawing on its experience from the 2024 Greater London Authority elections in May and the UK Parliamentary General Election in July, both of which provided valuable operational lessons .

The electoral services team consists of eight core members, supported by approximately 500 election day staff. These include 300 polling officers across 55 polling stations and 200 count staff at Kensington Town Hall.

The elections project plan is divided into workstreams, each with designated lead officers, task lists, and deadlines. These workstreams cover various aspects of the election, including staffing, training, absent voting, polling places, agents and candidates, equipment, ICT, communications, risk management, policing and security, polling day operations, the count, post-election activities, and contractor management. Interdependencies are mapped and contingency arrangements are in place. The project plan also includes a workstream for public awareness campaigns regarding voter ID, registration deadlines and polling arrangements, as well as media liaison and social media.