Changing wards & number of councillors a council has

What an electoral review does

Our electoral reviews recommend new patterns of wards or electoral divisions so that each councillor represents about the same number of electors. We also aim to make sure that the pattern of wards reflects community ties and identities and promotes effective and convenient local government. 

How an electoral review comes about

We may carry out electoral reviews because:

• It has been a long time since the last review
• The number of electors each councillor represents varies a lot across a council
• A council has asked us to carry out a review
• A new council has been created, following structural change, which requires new electoral arrangements

The stages of an electoral review

• Initial consultation: you can give us your views on local communities
• Consultation on proposals: you can give us your views on our proposed new pattern of wards or electoral divisions for your area
• Final Report: we publish our recommendations
• Order laid in Parliament: a formal request sent to Parliament to make our recommendations law
• Effective date: the new arrangements apply to elections after this date 
   
• Short animation running through the review process (2 mins) 
• Powerpoint presentation of the review process with voice-over (8 mins)

Getting involved

Detailed guidance on electoral reviews