Voters across England are preparing to head to the polls on Thursday, May 1, as the country gears up for a fresh round of local council and mayoral elections. This will mark the first significant electoral test for all major political parties since Labour’s landslide general election victory in July 2024.
Polling stations will open from 7am to 10pm across 23 local authority areas, with 1,641 council seats up for election. In addition to the local contests, six mayoral elections will be held, alongside the first parliamentary by-election of the new Parliament in Runcorn & Helsby, triggered by the resignation of former Labour MP Mike Amesbury.
The field is unusually crowded this year, with the Reform Party making a notable showing by fielding 1,631 candidates—more than either Labour or the Conservatives. According to a PA news agency analysis of nominations data, the Conservatives have 1,596 candidates, covering 97.3% of available seats, while Labour follows closely with 1,543 candidates, or 94% of the total. The Liberal Democrats are fielding 1,396 candidates (85.1%), and the Green Party has put forward 1,183 (72.1%).
Counting for many of the councils will take place throughout the day on Friday, May 2, with only one authority—Northumberland—intending to count votes overnight. The declaration times are always subject to change, depending on turnout, the speed of verification, and any potential recounts, but the PA has compiled an estimated timeline for results.
The earliest expected declaration is from the Runcorn & Helsby by-election, with a result anticipated around 3am on Friday morning. This will be closely watched for any early indicators of public sentiment following Labour’s return to power last year.
The full list of expected local council declaration times, all on Friday May 2, is as follows:
- 7am – Northumberland
- 1pm – Durham
- 1.45pm – Lancashire
- 3pm – Buckinghamshire, Doncaster, Leicestershire
- 4pm – Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Shropshire, Staffordshire
- 4.30pm – Derbyshire
- 5pm – Lincolnshire, North Northamptonshire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Warwickshire, Worcestershire
- 6pm – Cambridgeshire, Cornwall, Devon, Wiltshire
- 7pm – Kent, West Northamptonshire
Meanwhile, voters will also be choosing mayors in six combined authority areas, with four of these counts taking place overnight and the remainder expected on Friday afternoon.
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The estimated mayoral declaration times are:
- 2am – North Tyneside, West of England
- 3.30am – Greater Lincolnshire
- 5am – Doncaster
- 2.30pm – Hull & East Yorkshire
- 3pm – Cambridgeshire & Peterborough
This election day will provide the first major test of Labour’s popularity since Sir Keir Starmer entered Downing Street, while also offering insights into the shifting dynamics among opposition parties, particularly the Conservatives and Reform.
The high number of candidates and competitive contests suggest that voter interest may be significant, with local issues, housing, transport, and public services expected to dominate the campaign trail.
Final results and analysis will be closely monitored by all parties, as they look to gauge their standing with the public ahead of future elections, including the next scheduled London mayoral race and European Parliament elections in 2026.
