Electoral Commission Criticises Government Plan to Delay 63 Local Council Elections
The Electoral Commission has criticised the UK government's unprecedented plan to consider delaying 63 local council elections scheduled for May 2026, stating that postponements should be exceptional and could undermine public confidence.
Decisions on whether to postpone the elections will be made in mid-January, less than three months before the scheduled date. Vijay Rangarajan, chief executive of the Electoral Commission, warned that the proposal creates uncertainty and emphasised that capacity constraints are not a valid reason for delays.
The government sent letters to the 63 councils involved, asking if elections should be delayed due to ongoing local government reorganisation, describing the process as a locally-led approach. So far, five councils have confirmed they would seek postponements: Blackburn with Darwen; Chorley; East Sussex County Council; Hastings Borough Council; and West Sussex County Council. Chorley, East Sussex, and West Sussex had already planned to request delays before the announcement.
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) cited local government reorganisation and resource challenges as reasons for considering postponements, noting there is precedent for delays in 2019 and 2022.
At the time of publication, 17 authorities had responded with their decisions, while 33 more were expected to decide before the 15 January deadline. Some councils opposed delaying elections, arguing it would increase costs or divert resources from reorganisation and local services. Specifically, East Sussex said postponing would raise costs, and West Sussex highlighted a £9 million cost under current planning.
Twelve councils, including Basingstoke and Deane, Broxbourne, Colchester, Eastleigh, Essex, and Hart, have confirmed they will not request delays.
