Voters across England are preparing to head to the polls on Thursday, May 7, for the largest set of local elections in three years.
With more than 5,000 council seats across 136 local authorities up for grabs, the results will serve as a critical barometer for the nation’s political landscape. These elections cover a vast geographic range, including the entirety of London, several large metropolitan cities, rural districts, and six major county councils.
The upcoming elections are incredibly broad, touching nearly every type of local government in England.
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All 32 London boroughs are holding contests, alongside 32 metropolitan boroughs such as Birmingham, Leeds, Manchester, and Sheffield. In addition, six county councils – East Sussex, Essex, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, and West Sussex—will see voters decide their representatives.
The list of participating areas further extends to 18 unitary authorities, including places like Portsmouth, Reading, and Blackpool, as well as 48 district councils ranging from Cambridge to Winchester.
Beyond council seats, six areas including Croydon and Tower Hamlets will be electing local mayors.
This election cycle sees a significant shift in who is defending the most territory.
Unlike last year, when the Conservatives were most at risk, Labour is now defending over half of the seats up for election. This is largely due to the party’s current dominance in London and metropolitan areas.
Of the 5,013 seats being contested, Labour holds 2,557, while the Conservatives are defending 1,362. The Liberal Democrats are looking to protect 684 seats, while various independent and smaller party candidates hold the remaining 410.
Many of these seats were last contested in 2022 during the “Partygate” scandal, a period that saw the Conservatives lose significant ground to Labour, the Liberal Democrats, and the Greens.
Consequently, the 2026 results will reveal whether the major parties have regained their footing or if smaller parties like Reform UK will continue their upward trajectory.
Political analysts suggest both major parties may be in for a difficult night.
Analysis from Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher of Exeter University indicates that Labour could see a net loss of over 1,000 councillors if recent by-election trends continue. Since May 2025, Labour’s vote share in local contests has dropped significantly.
Meanwhile, the Conservatives face “particular jeopardy” in the six county council elections, where Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is expected to challenge traditional Tory strongholds.
Overall, Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, and the Green Party are all positioned to potentially make net gains as voters express frustration with the two largest parties.
While local issues like bin collections and park maintenance often drive these elections, national concerns—such as the cost of living and immigration—are expected to weigh heavily on voters’ minds. Furthermore, these elections coincide with national polls for the Scottish Parliament and the Senedd in Wales.
The deadline to register to vote for the May 7 elections is 11.59pm on Monday, April 20.
Those wishing to vote by mail must apply for a postal vote by 5pm on April 21, while the deadline for proxy vote applications is 5pm on April 28.
Most election results are expected to be announced throughout the afternoon of Friday, May 8, with a few final counts concluding on Saturday.
Full list of elections taking place in May 2026
County councils
- East Sussex
- Essex
- Hampshire
- Norfolk
- Suffolk
- West Sussex
Metropolitan boroughs
- Barnsley
- Birmingham
- Bolton
- Bradford
- Bury
- Calderdale
- Coventry
- Dudley
- Gateshead
- Kirklees
- Knowsley
- Leeds
- Manchester
- Newcastle upon Tyne
- North Tyneside
- Oldham
- Rochdale
- Salford
- Sandwell
- Sefton
- Sheffield
- Solihull
- South Tyneside
- St Helens
- Stockport
- Sunderland
- Tameside
- Trafford
- Wakefield
- Walsall
- Wigan
- Wolverhampton
Unitary authorities
- Blackburn with Darwen
- East Surrey
- Halton
- Hartlepool
- Hull
- Isle of Wight
- Milton Keynes
- North East Lincolnshire
- Peterborough
- Plymouth
- Portsmouth
- Reading
- Southampton
- Southend-on-Sea
- Swindon
- Thurrock
- West Surrey
- Wokingham
District councils
- Adur
- Basildon
- Basingstoke & Deane
- Brentwood
- Broxbourne
- Burnley
- Cambridge
- Cannock Chase
- Cheltenham
- Cherwell
- Chorley
- Colchester
- Crawley
- Eastleigh
- Epping Forest
- Exeter
- Fareham
- Gosport
- Harlow
- Hart
- Hastings
- Havant
- Huntingdonshire
- Hyndburn
- Ipswich
- Lincoln
- Newcastle-under-Lyme
- Norwich
- Nuneaton & Bedworth
- Oxford
- Pendle
- Preston
- Redditch
- Rochford
- Rugby
- Rushmoor
- South Cambridgeshire
- St Albans
- Stevenage
- Tamworth
- Three Rivers
- Tunbridge Wells
- Watford
- Welwyn Hatfield
- West Lancashire
- West Oxfordshire
- Winchester
- Worthing
London boroughs
- Barking and Dagenham
- Barnet
- Bexley
- Brent
- Bromley
- Camden
- Croydon
- Ealing
- Enfield
- Greenwich (Royal Borough)
- Hackney
- Hammersmith and Fulham
- Haringey
- Harrow
- Havering
- Hillingdon
- Hounslow
- Islington
- Kensington and Chelsea
- Kingston upon Thames
- Lambeth
- Lewisham
- Merton
- Newham
- Redbridge
- Richmond upon Thames
- Southwark
- Sutton
- Tower Hamlets
- Waltham Forest
- Wandsworth
- Westminster
Mayoral
- Croydon
- Hackney
- Lewisham
- Newham
- Tower Hamlets
- Watford
