Kirklees Council elections 2026: Key dates as voters prepare to go to the polls
Kirklees is getting ready for its local elections and this year, there is a lot at stake.
Last week, Kirklees Council published the Notice of Election marking the start of the countdown to polling day on Thursday, May 7.
The upcoming election will see every single one of the local authority’s 69 seats up for grabs.
Kirklees Council is currently run by Labour as a minority administration. The party holds 23 seats, the Conservatives 16, Independents 10, Liberal Democrats nine, Community Alliance four, Greens four, Community Independents two, and one vacancy.
Residents will be asked to vote for three candidates to represent their ward. Poll cards will be sent to all registered voters in mid-March.
May’s local elections will be the first to use the new electoral wards which were drawn up following the boundary review by the Local Government Boundary Commission.
The aim of the review was to ensure that Kirklees Council can most effectively carry out its duties across the wards, as well as giving each councillor a similar number of electors to represent.
Kirklees is still split into 23 wards, with three councillors to serve each of them. But the areas many members represent will be changing.
Voters have been encouraged to check whether their ward has changed this time and can do so via the Kirklees Council website.
The council has set out some more key dates and reminders for electors.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday, April 20, and the deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday, April 21.
Tuesday, April 28 is the last day you can apply to vote by proxy, with a deadline of 5pm.
Once again, voters will be required to show an official form of photo ID when attending a polling station. If you don’t have an accepted form of ID, you can apply for a voter authority certificate by 5pm on Tuesday, April 28.
The statement of persons nominated, which will set out all candidates standing for election, is due to be published on April 10.
On May 7 – the day of the election – polling stations will be open between 7am and 10pm.
The vote count will take place the following day, with results declared as they come in.