North East councils set Local Elections May 2026 all-out votes
Local elections may 2026 are taking place on Thursday across seven councils in north-east England, with every seat up for election in Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside. Those four councils are holding all-out contests because boundary changes now come into force.
Newcastle and Gateshead seats
Voters in Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland, South Tyneside, North Tyneside and Hartlepool are choosing councillors this week. In Newcastle, Gateshead, Sunderland and South Tyneside, all of the council seats are being contested at once, rather than only part of the chamber.
North Tyneside and Hartlepool are following a different pattern, with only a third of each council's seats on the ballot. The Local Government Boundary Commission agreed the changes that now take effect, turning this election round into a full reset in four councils and a partial contest in two others.
Voting in the North East
Anyone who wants to vote needed to be registered by 20 April. At the polling station, voters need photo ID, then they select their preferred candidate and place the ballot paper in the box.
The winners will become councillors for a specific ward. If one party wins a majority of seats, it will run the council and take responsibility for services such as bin collections and planning applications.
Ward results and council control
The scale of the vote matters because four councils are replacing every seat at once while North Tyneside and Hartlepool are only changing part of theirs. That makes the Thursday count the point at which residents learn who will represent their ward and, in some councils, who will control the chamber.
The elections are part of a wider set of votes across 136 local councils in Scotland and Wales, but the North East contests are centred on seven councils in north-east England. For voters, the practical step is simple: check registration with the council's elections office, then bring photo ID to the polling station and cast the ballot on Thursday.
