Five candidates are standing in the New Bradwell by-election on Thursday 24 September. To vote in it you must be registered by midnight on Tuesday 8 September.

Five candidates are standing in the New Bradwell by-election on Thursday 24 September. The deadline that matters this week is earlier than that. Anyone in the ward who is not on the electoral register has until midnight on Tuesday 8 September to get on it, or they cannot vote.

Nominations closed at 4pm on Thursday 27 August. The Returning Officer, Sharon Bridglalsingh, published the statement of persons nominated the same day.

Who is standing

The five validly nominated candidates, in the order the council lists them:

  • Tracey Bailey, Labour Party
  • Julian Vernon Camies, Reform UK
  • Martin Kenneth Clarke, Liberal Democrat
  • Gabriel Ferreira da Costa, The Conservative Party Candidate
  • Alan Francis, The Green Party

One city councillor will be elected. New Bradwell is a single-member ward, and the notice of election confirms one seat is up.

Key dates for the New Bradwell by-election on 24 September 2026

The dates you need

These come from the council’s election timetable and the notice of election.

  • Midnight, Tuesday 8 September: last moment to register to vote, at gov.uk/register-to-vote
  • 5pm, Wednesday 9 September: deadline for a new postal vote, and for changing or cancelling an existing postal or proxy vote
  • Friday 11 September: the second batch of postal votes is posted out
  • 5pm, Wednesday 16 September: deadline to apply to vote by proxy, and to apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate
  • Wednesday 16 September: the notice of poll is published, which is when polling station addresses are confirmed
  • Thursday 24 September: polls open 7am to 10pm
  • 5pm, Thursday 24 September: last chance to replace a spoilt or lost postal vote, and the deadline for an emergency proxy
  • Friday 25 September: votes are counted

You will need photo ID

Voting in person requires an accepted form of photo identification. The council’s voter ID page explains that “the UK Government has introduced a requirement for voters to show photo ID when voting at a polling station at some elections”.

A UK, Channel Islands, Isle of Man or EEA passport counts. So does a UK or EEA driving licence, including a provisional. So does a Blue Badge, an older person’s or disabled person’s bus pass, a PASS-scheme proof of age card, and a veteran card.

If you have none of them, the Voter Authority Certificate is free. Apply through gov.uk by 5pm on Wednesday 16 September, or ask the council for a paper form on 01908 254706.

Why there is a by-election

The seat became vacant when Councillor Shanika Mahendran died on 1 July. She was 28.

Milton Keynes City Council paid tribute to her the following day. Its account of her four years on the council reads:

  • first elected in 2022, at the age of 24, for Loughton and Shenley ward
  • Chair of Planning Committee from November 2022
  • joined the Cabinet in 2023, its youngest member and the first Asian woman to hold a Cabinet post in Milton Keynes
  • re-elected in May 2026 for New Bradwell, as Cabinet Member for Planning and Placemaking

“Councillor Shanika Mahendran devoted her skills and energy to making our city a better place to live,” said the council leader, Councillor Jane Carr.

The council issued a notice of casual vacancy on 5 August under section 89(1) of the Local Government Act 1972. Under that section a by-election only happens if two local government electors ask for one in writing. The council confirms that a valid request was received, which is why the poll is going ahead.

What it means for you

If you have moved into New Bradwell recently, or turned 18 since the last election, or never got round to registering, Tuesday is your cut-off. Registering takes a few minutes online, and you will normally need your National Insurance number.

If you are already registered you do not need to do anything to vote in person. Your poll card will tell you where to go. Polling station addresses are only fixed when the notice of poll is published on 16 September, so do not assume it is the same building as last time.

If you will be away on 24 September, the postal vote deadline of 5pm on Wednesday 9 September is the tighter one. After that, a proxy vote is the remaining option until 5pm on 16 September.

Whoever wins will serve on the council that sets your council tax and decides planning applications across the city.

Sources