District Council elections May 2026
On Thursday, 7 May 2026, District Council elections are taking place in our area. Due to recent boundary review all 90 Council seats will be up for election.
Three councillors are to be elected for each ward. This means residents will be asked to vote for three candidates to represent their ward.
The three candidates who receive the most votes are elected. Those candidates are elected for different terms:
- 1st place – 4 years
- 2nd place – 2 years
- 3rd place – 1 year
From 2027 onwards, the district elections will be for one councillor for each ward.
A poll card will be sent to everyone who is registered to vote in the election in mid-March 2026.
Who can register
You can register to vote if you are:
- 16 or older (although you can't vote until you are 18)
- living at an address in City of Bradford Metropolitan District area
- a British or Irish citizen
- a qualifying EU citizen with retained rights
- a Commonwealth citizen who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission
The deadline to register to vote for the 7 May 2026 elections is midnight on Monday, 20 April 2026.
How to register to vote
Please use the online system to apply to register to vote. You will need your National Insurance number and your date of birth.
To check if you are already registered to vote, please contact our elections office. Tell them your full name and address and ask them to check if you are registered.
If you have never registered or if you have moved home since you last voted, register to vote now. Further information about registering to vote is on our register to vote web page.
Postal votes - key information for the 2026 elections
If you already have a postal vote in place or successfully apply prior to 8 April 2026, your postal vote will be handed to Royal Mail on or around 18 April 2026.
If you apply for your postal vote between 8 April and prior to the statutory deadline to apply of 5pm Tuesday, 21 April, your postal vote will be handed to Royal Mail on or around 24 April 2026.
If you are going away please be aware of the expected dispatch dates as a postal vote may not be suitable and you should apply to vote by proxy instead.
Photo ID at polling stations
You will have to show an official form of photo ID when you attend a polling station to vote.
District election 2026 timetable
The dates for key deadlines in the District election on Thursday, 7 May 2026 are listed below.
- Thursday, 19 March:
- Notice of election is published
- Nomination period begins
- Thursday, 9 April: Last date for delivery of nomination papers (4pm)
- Friday, 10 April: Statement of Persons Nominated is published (the list of candidates standing in the election)
- Monday, 20 April: Deadline for applications to register to vote
- Tuesday, 21 April:
- Deadline for applications for postal votes (5pm)
- Deadline for changes to postal and proxy votes (5pm)
- Tuesday, 28 April:
- Deadline for new proxy applications (5pm)
- Deadline for Voter Authority Certificates (5pm)
- Notice of poll is published
- Wednesday, 29 April:
- Deadline for appointment of counting and polling agents
- Applications for emergency proxies can be made
- Thursday, 30 April: Applications for replacement postal votes can be made
- Thursday, 7 May:
- Polling day (7am to 10pm)
- Deadline for applications for replacement postal votes (5pm)
- Deadline for applications for emergency proxies (5pm)
- Friday, 8 May and Saturday, 9 May: Verification and counting of the votes
- Friday, 12 June: Deadline for submitting election spending returns
Information for candidates
Electoral Commission has produced guidance for candidates and agents at local government elections.
Nominations
If you want to be a candidate in the elections in May 2026, you must hand in a nomination.
From mid-February you can get a nomination pack from Electoral Services, 3rd Floor, City Hall, Bradford BD1 1HY or request one by phone on 01274 432287.
Informal check on nominations are available from Monday, 2 March 2026. Candidates can send nomination papers for informal checking to [email protected] ahead of the publication of the Notice of Election on 19 March.
The nomination period for the May 2026 elections begins on 19 March 2026 and ends at 4pm on 9 April 2026. Nomination papers can only be formally submitted on or between these dates.
Candidates can book an appoitnement to deliver their nomination papers. We would prefer all candidates as far as possible to make an appointment. We will also be happy to receive nominations without an appointment.
Important: if you are formally submitting a nomination paper it must be hand delivered to Electoral Services office, based on the 3rd Floor, City Hall, Bradford, BD1 1HY.
After nominations
When nominations close, we will send all candidates or their election agent relevant election information.
We will also host an online briefing session to advise what happens next in the election.
The date and time for the briefing session is Friday, 17 April 2026 from 10.30am to 12 noon and a link to attend the briefing will be sent.
Candidates campaign spending
As in all elections there is a limit to the amount that you can spend on your election campaigns.
Information on candidate spending is available from the Electoral Commission.
How much can you spend?
The spending limit is £960, plus 8p per local government elector in the ward registered to vote on the last day for publication of the notice of election in the ward which you are standing for. We will send you the exact figure after close of nominations.
For example, if there are 11,000 electors in a ward the spending limit is:
- £960 plus (11,000 x £0.08) = £1840
Imprints on candidate election material
Candidate election material is any material that can be reasonably regarded as intended to promote or procure the election of a candidate at an election. Published candidates’ election material must contain details showing who has responsibility for publishing it. These details are called an ‘imprint’. The imprint ensures there is transparency for voters about who is campaigning.
An imprint must be added to all printed and digital election material.
Imprints on printed material must include the name and address of:
- the printer
- the promoter
- any person on behalf of whom the material is being published (and who is not the promoter)
An imprint must be added to digital material that is 'published'. This means material made available to the public or any section of the public.
Digital material is material in electronic form that includes text, moving images, still images, speech or music.
Candidate security guidance
Security guidance for candidates is available on the gov.uk website: Candidate Security Guidance Collection - GOV.UK.
