Candidates campaign spending
As in all elections there is a limit to the amount that you can spend on your election campaigns.
When do the spending laws apply?
The laws apply in what is called the ‘regulated period’.
The regulated period begins on the day after the date you officially become a candidate and ends on polling day, 7 May 2026.
The earliest date you can officially become a candidate for the May 2026 elections is Monday 30 March 2026.
You will become a candidate on 30 March 2026 if you or others have already announced your intention to stand. For example, your party may have issued a press release when you were selected, or you might have mentioned your intention at a residents’ meeting.
If your intention to stand has not been announced by 30 March 2026, you will officially become a candidate on the earlier of:
- the date your intention to stand is announced
- the date when you submit your nomination papers
All nomination papers must be hand delivered to the Returning Officer by 4pm on Thursday 9 April 2026.
How much can you spend?
The spending limit for the regulated period 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.
For example, if there are 11,000 electors in a ward the spending limit is:
- £960 plus (11,000 x £0.08) = £1840
For these elections, the electorate and number of properties in each ward are
| Electoral Area | Eligible Electorate (as at 2 March 2026) | Number of Properties (as at 2 March 2026) |
| Ackworth North Elmsall and Upton No 1 Ward | 13,343 | 7,935 |
| Airedale and Ferry Fryston No 2 Ward | 12,065 | 7,359 |
| Altofts and Whitwood No 3 Ward | 14,169 | 8,437 |
| Castleford Central and Glasshoughton No 4 Ward | 13,264 | 8,801 |
| Crofton, Ryhill and Walton No 5 Ward | 12,218 | 7,069 |
| Featherstone No 6 Ward | 13,298 | 8,249 |
| Hemsworth No 7 Ward | 12,041 | 7,475 |
| Horbury and South Ossett No 8 Ward | 11,722 | 7,111 |
| Knottingley and Ferrybridge No 9 Ward | 10,866 | 7,090 |
| Normanton No 10 Ward | 12,782 | 7,959 |
| Ossett No 11 Ward | 12,616 | 7,707 |
| Pontefract North No 12 Ward | 13,515 | 8,498 |
| Pontefract South No 13 Ward | 13,228 | 7,837 |
| South Elmsall and South Kirkby No 14 Ward | 13,573 | 8,570 |
| Stanley and Outwood East No 15 | 13,610 | 8,123 |
| Wakefield East No 16 Ward | 11,258 | 7,437 |
| Wakefield North No 17 Ward | 11,919 | 8,153 |
| Wakefield Rural No 18 Ward | 13,774 | 7,916 |
| Wakefield South No 19 Ward | 12,377 | 7,722 |
| Wakefield West No 20 | 11,966 | 7,535 |
| Wrenthorpe and Outwood West No 21 Ward | 13,382 | 7,750 |
Where can I find expense returns forms and guidance?
The expenses forms and associated guidance are available on the Electoral Commission Website.
What is a joint candidate?
As the election in May 2026 is a whole Council election, it is likely that some candidates will be joint candidates.
You are a joint candidate if you stand in the same election in the same ward as another candidate and one or more of the following conditions applies:
- you have the same election agent
- you use the same campaign rooms
- you publish joint material
However, using the same campaign rooms by accident or coincidence is not in itself enough to make candidates joint candidates.
If you are not sure if you are a joint candidate then please contact the Electoral Commission for advice.
What are the spending limits for joint candidates?
Joint candidates have lower spending limits, as they are sharing some of the costs. You should work out your limit as set out above and then reduce it by:
- 25% (a quarter) if you are one of two joint candidates
- 33% (approximately a third) if you are one of three or more joint candidates
For example, three candidates in the same ward decide to appoint the same election agent. There are 11,500 electors in the ward.
First, calculate the spending limit for a single candidate in the ward:
- £960 plus (11,000 x £0.08) = £1840
There are two candidates so the spending limit for each is reduced by 25%:
- £1840 x 25% = £460
Take this off the spending limit for a single candidate:
- £1840 - £460 = £1380
The spending limit for each candidate is £1380.
The election agent must submit a spending return for each candidate separately.
Any questions about candidate spending should be sent to the email address returningofficer@wakefield.gov.uk. This is a new email address. It will help us prioritise emails from candidates away from other emails that we receive.
We will still pick up emails to our other email address but that may take longer than using the new address.
If you need something urgent then please call the Electoral Services team on 01924 305023.