Types of election
The Electoral Services Office administers all national and local elections in the Wakefield district.
This includes:
- parish and town council elections
- local (district) council elections
- West Yorkshire combined authority mayoral elections
- Parliamentary (general) elections
- referendums and by elections that can occur at any time
You can find more information about different types of elections online:
Parish and town council elections
There are 30 parishes within the district.
Parish council elections are held every four years. All the parish councillors are elected each time.
Find out about the district's parish and town councils online, in our Town and Parish charter.
Local (district council) elections
The council is currently made up of 63 councillors. Each of the 21 wards is represented by 3 councillors.
At each local council election one councillor is elected per ward, to serve on the council for four years. Local council elections are held annually in three years out of every four. In the fourth year there are no local council elections.
For details on the current district councillors go to find your councillor.
West Yorkshire Combined Authority mayoral elections
The first election for a Mayor of West Yorkshire took place in May 2021. The next election will be in May 2024.
The West Yorkshire Mayor deals with transport, planning, housing and finance. They represent 2.3 million people across the region. The are includes Bradford, Calderdale, Kirklees, Leeds and Wakefield.
More information is available online.
Parliamentary (general) elections
Parliamentary elections are also known as General elections. At a General election, voters elect a member of parliament for the area they live in. Each area is called a 'constituency'.
The next General election must take place by 28 January 2025.
There will be new constituencies in place at the next General election.
Wakefield Electoral Services will be responsible for elections in these County constituencies:
- Normanton and Hemsworth
- Ossett and Denby Dale
- Pontefract, Castleford and Knottingley
- Wakefield and Rothwell Borough
The Ossett and Denby Dale constituency contains part of the Kirklees area.
The Wakefield and Rothwell constituency contains part of the Leeds area.
Referendums
In a referendum, the government asks members of the public to help decide on an important issue. They are an opportunity for the public to make their opinions known. The government can decide to call a referendum on any issue.
In 2011, voters were asked to take part in a referendum to decide whether they wanted to change the way we vote in general elections. So far, nationwide referendums have always focused on the way our democracy works. For example, the relationship between the UK Parliament and the European Union.
Referendums don’t have to be called by the UK government, they also happen in local councils. Members of the public can petition their local government to hold a referendum on any issue. The results help to inform councillors about what local people want.
In 2012, Wakefield District voters were asked to decide if they wanted to introduce an elected mayor.