LOCAL ELECTIONS: Voters head to the polls in Barnsley and Sheffield
Votes are being held in two parts of South Yorkshire today
Last updated 7th May 2026
Voters are heading to the polls in local elections in parts of South Yorkshire today.
Polls are open in ballots for the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments, as well as 136 local authorities in England.
Seats are up for grabs across all two districts of South Yorkshire, with an 'all-out' vote being held Barnsley, with all 63 seats up for grabs.
In Sheffield a third of seats are up for election - or 28 out of the 84 total.
Barnsley is currently Labour led, while no party in Sheffield has an overall majority.
Labour is expected to face a dual challenge this election from both the Greens and Reform UK, with the vote being widely seen as a referendum on the performance of Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Local elections last year saw Reform UK take the most seats in Doncaster, though Labour retained control of the council through Mayor Ros Jones.
How and where can I vote?
In order to take part in this election you need to have registered to vote in advance.
To cast your ballot you will need to take your polling card and your ID to your local polling station, where you can fill out a ballot.
You can use this website to find your local polling station.
More information on the process of voting can be found on this website.
Polls close at 10pm tonight
When will we know the results?
Some local authorities in England will count the votes overnight, while some will begin counting on Friday before publishing the results later in the day.
Approximate times that our local authorities will declare are below:
Sheffield - 2pm Friday
Barnsley - 4:30pm Friday