Electoral Boundaries
What are boundaries?
An election is run on a boundary (area). Depending on the election, the boundaries may be different.
For the Mayoral elections, the boundary/area is the whole of West Yorkshire- this covers Wakefield, Leeds, Kirklees, Calderdale and Bradford.
For Parliamentary elections the area is a constituency. A constituency can cover a wide area, covering different towns and sometimes across different council areas. We have 4 constituencies which cover the Wakefield area.
For a District (Local) election we use the ward boundaries. Wakefield District is split into 21 different wards. Each ward is then divided into smaller polling districts.
For a Town/Parish election we use the parish boundaries. Parish areas can be made up of one or some of the polling districts within a ward.
Parliamentary Boundary Review
Reviews of Parliamentary boundaries are completed by the Boundary Commission for England (BCE). They are an independent organisation that reviews parliamentary constituency boundaries.
The last review of parliamentary constituencies was completed in 2023.
There are 4 separate constituencies in Wakefield:
- Normanton and Hemsworth
- Ossett and Denby Dale
- Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
- Wakefield and Rothwell
The Ossett and Denby Dale constituency contains part of the Kirklees area.
The Wakefield and Rothwell constituency contains part of the Leeds area.
Further information about the review can be found on the BCE website.
Statutory Review of Polling Districts, Polling Places, and Polling Stations
The council must review polling districts and polling places within its area every four years. This is under schedule 1A of the Representation of the Peoples Act 1983. Submissions are requested from a variety of bodies throughout two different consultation periods.
The most recent review took place in 2024. The final changes were approved by full council in January 2025.
The changes proposed in the review will come into effect alongside the Register of Electors 2026, which will be published on 1 December 2025.
- initial recommendations report (published after the first consultation can be found)
- report of final recommendations
Community Governance Review
This is when Wakefield Council can review and change arrangements for the town and parish councils in the area.
The last review took place in 2023. Details of the changes, as well as supporting maps can be found in this document. View the summary note at the end of the order to explain the changes: Community Governance Order 2023.
Details of any further reviews will be published on this page.