Key information and dates ahead of 2026 Leeds City Council election

Leeds City Council has issued the key information and dates for voters to be aware of ahead of this year’s local election in May.

Voting for 33 seats on the council, one for each ward area of the city, takes place on Thursday 7 May. This will be followed by counting and the results being announced the following day.

The first step in the voting process is being registered to vote. The deadline to do so for anyone not already registered is midnight on Monday 20 April. This includes anyone who has moved home and needs to register at their new address. Registration takes just five minutes and can be completed online at https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

The next step is choosing which method to use to vote, either in person, by post, or by appointing someone trusted to vote on your behalf, which is known as a proxy vote.

Under new government rules, all registered postal voters needed to have reapplied by renewing their details by the end of January in order to continue voting using that method.

Leeds City Council has since contacted all of those who did not respond by that deadline with information and guidance on their options.

Anyone previously registered to vote by post who did not complete that renewal in time and wishes to vote by post again will need to reapply in order to do so via https://www.leeds.gov.uk/elections/postal-voting before 5pm on Tuesday 21 April.

For those voting in person on election day, the election will continue the national system of a valid form of Voter ID needing to be shown at the polling station. Guidance on what forms of identification will be accepted and how to apply for a new free Voter ID if required can be seen at https://www.leeds.gov.uk/elections/voter-id. 

All community hubs and libraries in Leeds will be able to help voters complete the application form including having their photo taken. The deadline to apply for a Voter Authority Certificate (free voter ID) is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April.

Poll cards for everyone registered to vote in Leeds will be posted out from March 27 onwards. Residents are being asked to check the details on their poll cards when they arrive to ensure they are correct, and also to note the location of their polling station which may have changed.

Postal poll cards will also be sent to anyone registered to vote by post, followed by postal ballot packs which will be issued from around 21 April. Anyone wishing to vote this way can apply to do so via https://www.leeds.gov.uk/elections/postal-voting. The deadline for applications for postal voting is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April, and the next reminder is for postal voters to send their completed postal vote back as early as possible to help manage demand.

Another option available is to vote by proxy, which can be applied for via https://www.leeds.gov.uk/elections. The deadline for applications to vote by proxy is 5pm on Tuesday 28 April.

All voters are advised to read the information sent through to them carefully when it arrives, and Electoral Registration Officer and chief executive of Leeds City Council Ed Whiting said:

“The pre-election period is set to start shortly, and it is very important all those who wish to vote are registered to do so and by their chosen method. All registered voters will be receiving information in the coming weeks and it is essential to please read the documents and guidance thoroughly to ensure everything is correct so you can have your say on the seventh of May.”

Notes to editors: 

Timeline of key dates ahead of Leeds City Council election 2026:

• - From Friday 27 March: Poll cards posted to all registered electors in Leeds
• - Monday 30 March: Official pre-election period begins
• - Thursday 9 April: List of candidates standing in this year’s election published
• - Midnight on Monday 20 April: Deadline for registering to vote
• - Tuesday 21 April: Postal vote packs start being delivered to voters
• - 5pm on Tuesday 21 April: Deadline for new applications for postal voting or change to existing voting arrangements
• - 5pm on Tuesday 28 April: Deadline for applications for Voter Authority Certificate (the photo ID to be able to vote in person at a polling station)
• - 5pm on Tuesday 28 April: Deadline for applications to vote by proxy
• - Thursday 7 May (7am-10pm): Election day
• - From 10am on Friday 8 May: Votes counted and results declared

 It will be a requirement at polling stations on election day to establish the identity of all voters using one of the accepted forms of photo ID. It may be necessary for polling officials to ask voters to remove face coverings in order to verify their identity. Privacy booths will be available at all polling stations, with a choice of a male or female official to carry out the check.

 The Leeds elections team can be contacted to address any issues using the helpline at 0113 222 4411 or by emailing electors@leeds.gov.uk.

ENDS

For media enquiries please contact:

Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

Tel: 0113 378 6007