On May 7th, local elections will be contested across 136 councils in England, bringing more than 5,000 seats into contention. The scale of these elections follows the government’s decision to proceed as planned after a brief period of uncertainty over LGR areas.

Originally, ministers had granted 30 authorities permission to postpone their polls until May 2027 to alleviate the administrative pressures of ongoing local government reorganisation. This group included five areas that had already seen their 2025 elections deferred.

However, following a legal challenge and subsequent revised legal advice, the government reversed its decision, confirming that elections in all 136 councils would proceed as originally scheduled. This ensures that voters in these areas will be able to cast their ballots this May.

In addition to the council seats, six mayoral contests are set to take place on the same day, including key races across London and in Watford. At Polimapper, we have visualised this complex electoral landscape at both the district and county levels, providing a clear geographic breakdown of the various contests taking place across the country.