Mayor of Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority
This election will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026.
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The Mayor of Sussex and Brighton is a new position, and this will be its first election.
The Sussex and Brighton Combined County Authority is made up of East Sussex, West Sussex, and Brighton and Hove councils. It has a population of more than 1.7 million people. The Authority’s board consists of the leaders of the three councils, and is chaired by the Mayor. The Authority has its own budget, and powers in areas including:
- Transport and infrastructure
- Employment and adult education
- Housing and planning
- Health and environment
- Police and public safety
We are currently aware of four candidates for this position. The official candidate list will be published after 9 April 2026, when this page will be updated. You can help improve this page: add information about candidates to our database.
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Caroline Baxter
Labour Party
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Katy Bourne
Conservative and Unionist Party
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Benedict Dempsey
Liberal Democrats
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Martin Webb
Independent
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You should get a "poll card" through the post telling you where to vote.
If you haven't got one, or aren't sure where to vote, you should call Mid Sussex District Council on 01444 477003.
Mid Sussex District Council
https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections-voting
elections@midsussex.gov.uk -
You will need to take photo ID to vote at a polling station in this election
You do not need your poll card to vote. You must vote at your assigned polling station.
- Read more about voting in Great Britain.
- Read more about photo ID.
If you do not have a photo ID that allows you to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate before 28 April 2026
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Register to vote
You need to be registered in order to vote. If you aren't registered to vote visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
Register before midnight on 20 April 2026 to vote on 7 May 2026.
Send your postal and proxy vote applications to your local electoral registration team. You can also contact them to find out if you’re on the electoral register, and if you already have a postal or proxy vote.
Mid Sussex District Council Electoral Registration Officer
Oaklands' Oaklands Road
Haywards Heath
RH16 1SS
https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections-voting
elections@midsussex.gov.uk -
Voting by post
If you know that you won't be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can vote by post. You have until 21 April 2026 to Apply for a postal vote.
Read more about applying for a postal vote.
If you have a postal vote, your local council will send your postal voting pack around three weeks before polling day.
If you have not received your postal voting pack, you can contact Mid Sussex District Council on 01444 477003.
Mid Sussex District Council
https://www.midsussex.gov.uk/elections-voting
elections@midsussex.gov.uk -
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