All-out Birmingham Local Elections 2026 counts begin across West Midlands

Polls have closed in the birmingham local elections 2026, and votes are now being counted across the West Midlands. Birmingham is among the councils holding all-out elections, with results expected throughout Friday.

The region’s counts cover Birmingham, Coventry, Walsall, Sandwell, Solihull and Newcastle-under-Lyme in all-out elections. Dudley, Wolverhampton, Tamworth, Cannock Chase and Redditch are electing a third of their seats, while Shropshire and Herefordshire are not holding elections.

Birmingham and West Midlands counts

Across England, more than 5,000 seats across 136 local authorities are up for election, alongside six mayoral races. The first council results are expected to be declared in the afternoon on Friday, and results from all counts are expected by Saturday.

In Dudley, Tamworth, Newcastle-under-Lyme and Redditch, overnight counts are expected. Those results will arrive before the wider regional picture is complete, but the full West Midlands count is still moving toward the same Friday and Saturday timetable.

West Midlands council contests

Local councillors are elected under the first-past-the-post system, with the candidate or candidates with the most votes in each ward winning the seat. Councillors represent their local area, provide community leadership and vote on decisions in meetings.

They are not paid a salary. Instead, they receive an allowance to cover costs such as childcare and travel, making the count relevant not just to who wins but to who takes on those responsibilities next.

Friday results in Birmingham

For Birmingham, the immediate question is not the voting itself but the count now under way. The first declared results on Friday afternoon will start to show how the city and the wider West Midlands have voted, with the final set of results due by Saturday.