England elections 2026: What do local councils do?

Voters in many parts of England get the chance to elect their local representatives on Thursday 7 May.

The elections will decide who runs services such as social care, bin collections and planning.

Local councils are responsible for providing many of our public services. For example:

• providing care for the elderly and disabled
• fixing potholes on some roads
• collecting rubbish
• providing libraries
• planning applications

Local councils are partly funded by central government, but they can also raise their own revenue through:

• council tax - a compulsory charge on properties set by local councils
• business rates - a tax put on properties used for commercial purposes

Some parts of England are covered by county councils, which cover an entire county, and district councils, which cover a smaller area within the county. People living in these areas have two councils, each providing different services.

In other areas, one single body - sometimes known as a unitary authority - carries out all local government tasks. In March 2026, the government confirmed that Surrey will move from a county council and 11 district councils to two unitary authorities from April 2027. It also announced similar plans to introduce unitary authorities in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex, Southend-on-Sea and Thurrock.

About 40% of England's population live in an area with a parish or town council. They are the lowest level of local government and their responsibilities vary, ranging from providing services such as allotments and public toilets to improving quality of life through community projects and neighbourhood plans.

The introduction of new unitary authorities could also lead to new parish councils being created to bridge the gap between communities and the larger unitary authorities. Consultation on plans to introduce new parish councils in Surrey are already under way.

In some parts of the country, groups of councils also join together to make a combined authority - usually with a mayor at the helm - with responsibility for economic schemes, transport services and infrastructure projects.

Local council elections are happening across England, but not in all areas.

There are almost 5,000 seats up for grabs on about 136 councils, plus six mayoral elections and seats on parish councils across the country.

This includes elections in 30 councils that will now go ahead after the government abandoned previously-announced plans to delay them.

• A simple guide to the May elections in England, Scotland and Wales
• How do I register to vote in the May 2026 elections?

Councillors are not paid a salary. Instead, they receive an allowance to cover costs such as childcare and travel, with many working another job alongside their council role.

They are responsible for representing their local area, providing community leadership and voting on decisions in meetings. Some may have additional responsibilities in particular policy areas, or sit on committees.

Local elections offer voters the chance to have their say on what's going on in their area - and to give their verdict on the performance of the political parties.

National and international issues like the rising cost of living and the war in Iran might be on voters' minds - at the same time as local matters like contentious planning decisions, the state of roads and how effectively bins are collected.

Voters must be 18 or over on the day of the election.

All voters must be:

• registered at an address in the area where they want to vote
• a British or Irish citizen, or an eligible EU or Commonwealth citizen
• not legally excluded from voting

There are three ways to vote:

• in person at a polling station (often in places such as schools and community centres) with a valid photo ID
• by postal vote
• by nominating someone to vote for you (a proxy vote)

The deadline to register to vote is 23:59 BST on Wednesday 20 April.

The deadline to register for a postal vote is 17:00 on Tuesday 21 April.

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 17:00 on Tuesday 28 April.

People living in Tunbridge Wells, Cambridge, North Hertfordshire and Milton Keynes will be able to vote in different places or ahead of polling day, as part of a pilot to making participating in elections easier.

You can go online to register to vote.

• with council elections, voters have one vote for each available seat in their area (a ward or division)
• in most cases, that means one opportunity to vote - but large wards may have several seats
• whoever receives the most votes wins the seat
• if one party wins more than half the council seats, it has control of the council
• if no single party has a majority, parties will often join forces (known as a coalition)
• a different voting system is used for mayoral elections so voters should read the instructions on their ballot paper carefully

• PHOTO ID: What documents do you need to vote?
• COUNCIL TAX: How to check if you're in the right band
• EXPLAINER: What can't you do at a polling station?