You can shape the future of local democracy today (Thursday) as polling stations across the Isle of Wight open for the 2026 local elections.
It is important to have your say as you will decide who represents you when decisions are made about local services, including everything from bin collections to road improvements.
Elections can be confusing at the best of times, so Island Echo has a dedicated subsite – www.isleofwight.vote – that has everything you need to know, including a list of candidates standing.
You have until 22:00 tonight (Thursday) to vote.
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• How to Vote
You can vote in person at one of several polling stations across the Isle of Wight. To locate your correct polling station, visit https://isleofwight.vote/polling-stations/ and enter your postcode. Alternatively, check the polling card that came through your letterbox – although you do not need this in order to vote, but you must be registered.
Remember, you need to take Photo ID in order to vote.
You can vote between 07:00 and 22:00.
• When will the results be declared?
The results of the 2026 local election will be announced tomorrow (Friday), with Island Echo reporting live from the count at Medina Leisure Centre.
Join us for all the latest, as it happens, from 09:30 tomorrow.
Find out who your local councillor is, how and where to vote and the results of previous elections at www.isleofwight.vote - the Island's new hub for all things related to Local and General Elections, brought to you by Island Echo.
I think the confusion can be reduced by using the word “influence” instead of the word “shape”.
The word “shape” seems to be a “much loved” word to use of late and does not conjure up this “battle” which is being referred too quite often.
I have just been told that I have lost the plot on this subject but I am happy to get it off my chest.
this time tomorrow liebour will be toast and heir starmer will have to go. A shop dummy could do a better job than dummy starmer.
TBH, I think even a shop dummy would be better than farage..
Id take that over this show of shit we have now..
So true.
So he goes, then they replace him with another
person to carry on the work he is doing.
People don’t understand politicians only do what their
Elite bosses instruct them to do!
They don’t have a say.
But anther twat just as useless or worse will take his place but will seal the death of labour for decades..so that’s good.
Get bloody labour out never to return again.
True, but one problem, all parties are run by the same
WEF boss.
all hale king farage
Hale the king..Farage the savoir.
you do all realise we’re voting for local council… right? Labour will be in parliament for years more! If not then I’m not sure you should be legible to vote
They’ve decided to close to road to the Ventnor polling station on polling day for “emergency works”.
They’ve dug a hole in one side of the road and left it there.
Despite only one side being blocked they’ve decided to block access to the polling station entirely instead of setting up traffic lights.
Also despite it being an emergency there were no workers.
Perhaps the council approved this in an attempt to avoid getting voted out.
Oh well, Reform will start to close care homes, they’ll stop bus pass for kids, less money for send schools and such, but hey how cares…..
Apparently not a lot of the older folks in here.