Deadline day to sign up for Leeds election vote

Voters will head to the polls on Thursday, May 3 to decide which candidates they want to represent their council wards.

Listed: Every candidate standing in the 2018 Leeds City Council elections

People do not need to register separately for every election but will need to sign up again if they have changed their address, name or nationality.

Tom Riordan, the chief executive of Leeds City Council and chief returning officer for the election, said: “Local elections are a big opportunity for tens of thousands of registered voters to play a crucial role in local democracy and be part of shaping the future of Leeds.

“The importance of voting also has added poignancy at this election as we mark 100 years since the struggles and sacrifices of the Suffrage movement saw the first women in the UK win the right to vote.

“We know residents are always incredibly passionate about their city and their communities so I would urge everyone to use their vote and not miss this chance to get out to the polling stations to have a say on the issues which matter to them.”

This year residents will be able to vote for three councillors because Leeds City Council has been through a ward boundary review and some have been amended to reflect changing populations in those areas. There are three councillors in each of the city’s 33 wards, but in past elections, people have only been asked to vote for one at a time.

Ahead of this election, the council has been run by Labour, with 58 members, followed by 19 Conservative councillors, nine Liberal Democrats, five Morley Borough Independents, three Green Party members, two Garforth and Swillington Independents, two East Leeds Independents and one further Independent.

People may need their National Insurance number and passport, if they are living abroad, to register at www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.