Who can vote in the local election 2026?

With less than a month to go until polling day, check whether you are eligible to vote in the 2026 local elections

Local elections will be taking place across the country on Thursday May 7, and millions are expected to make their way down to the polls to vote.

A total of 5,014 council seats are up for grabs across 136 local authorities, while six directly elected mayors will also be elected. These will be the largest set of local elections held in England for three years, and will be a major test for all political parties.

Voters across Greater Manchester will also be heading to the polls this year, and a third of councillors will be elected across all ten boroughs.

Click here for the latest on Greater Manchester’s politics in our newsletter

However, you must meet certain criteria to be able to vote in the local elections. Before heading down to the polls, it is therefore important to check whether you are eligible.

To help you check whether you are eligible, we have put together a round-up below of the different criteria you must meet to be able to vote in the 2026 local elections.

Who can vote in the 2026 local elections?

Whether or not you can vote in the 2026 local elections will depend on a number of factors including your citizenship, your age, where you live and whether you have registered to vote.

A crucial step towards being able to vote in the 2026 local elections is ensuring you have registered before the deadline. You can register to vote if you are aged 16 or over – however you will not be able to vote until you are aged 18.

You normally only need to register once, and do not need to re-register for every election. However if you have changed your name, address or nationality you will need to register again.

The 2026 local elections are taking place across 136 local authorities, and so you will also only be able to vote in the elections if you live and are registered to vote in a constituency where an election is taking place. You will also only be able to vote in the local elections if you are aged 18 or over.

Citizenship may also impact whether or not you are able to vote in an election. If you hold British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizenship, you will be able to vote in all elections, including the 2026 local elections.

In certain cases EU citizens can vote in local elections – despite not being able to vote in UK Parliamentary general elections. As an EU citizen, you will be able to vote in the 2026 local elections if you are:

• A citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal or Spain, and are a resident in the UK, have permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle or Man, or are someone who does not need permission
• A citizen of any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 was legally resident in the UK, had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who did not need permission. This must have continued without a break

While they are EU member states, citizens of Cyprus, Malta and Ireland are eligible to be registered to vote in all elections held in the UK, including the 2026 local elections.

You may also not be able to vote or register for a UK election, including the 2026 local elections, if you are a convicted person being detained. However if you are a Scottish resident and are serving a combined sentence of 12 months or less anywhere in the UK, you are eligible to register and vote in Scottish Parliament elections and council elections in Scotland.

You will also not be able to vote in the 2026 local elections if you have been found guilty within the last five years of any corrupt or illegal practices in connection with an election.