Wakefield Council confirms 2026 ‘all out’ local election will go ahead as planned
It comes after multiple local councils pushed back local elections
Wakefield Council has confirmed that local elections across the district will be going ahead as planned later this year.
The local authority issued a statement confirming ballots will be held on May 7.
More than a third of eligible councils in England have so far asked to postpone their elections in May, affecting more than 2.5 million voters.
A total of 28 local authorities have asked to push back their ballots, due to the government carrying out a major overhaul of local government structures.
Ministers are planning to abolish the two-tier system of district and county councils in the hope of making the system more streamlined and offering better services to voters.
The changes do not impact on Wakefield due to it being a metropolitan district.
Most wanting a delay are Labour-led, but two are Conservative-led and one is Liberal Democrat.
Some of the councils that have asked for a delay are run by more than one party, or independents.
For the first time in over 20 years, all council seats will be contested in this year’s election in Wakefield due to changes to ward boundaries.
Often referred to as an “all-out” or “whole council” election, three councillors will be elected for each of the 21 wards.
In a whole council election, the three candidates who receive the most votes are elected.
Gillian Marshall, Wakefield Council’s deputy returning officer said: “Wakefield Council is not subject to any government reorganisation, and the 2026 May election will be going ahead as planned.
“Due to an independent ward boundary review, all 63 seats will be up for election, which means people will be able to cast up to three votes each.
“You must be registered to vote to have your say on May 7.
“It’s easy to register online and only takes five minutes.
“So please don’t delay and get registered before the April 20 deadline.”
The council is also reminding voters that there is a new requirement for people to reapply for their postal votes every three years.
Ms Marshall added: “If you normally vote by post, please ensure you renew your postal vote by 31 January. If you don’t, you can either apply for a new postal vote later or vote in person at a polling station.”