Local government elections
Councils are responsible for providing local services and facilities.
Your elected representatives, or councillors, represent you at a local level. Local government elections give people the opportunity to elect councillors.
There are 18 local government wards in South Tyneside, each ward is represented by 3 councillors.
Local government elections take place over a four-year cycle, each councillor is elected for four years. One councillor in every ward is elected each year with no elections in the fourth year.
The last cycle of local government elections were held in May 2022, May 2023 and May 2024.
The next elections will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
To vote in a local government election a person must be registered to vote and also be:
- 18 years or over on polling day
- be resident in the UK
- not be subject to any legal incapacity to vote
- a British citizen or, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen
- a citizen of Denmark, Luxembourg, Poland, Portugal and Spain who is resident in the UK, has permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who does not need permission
- a citizen of any other EU country who on or before 31 December 2020 was legally resident in the UK, had permission to enter or stay in the UK, Channel Islands or Isle of Man, or who did not need permission, and this has continued without a break
More about Councillors and committee meetings.
If a councillor vacancy becomes available outside of the normal election timetable we may hold a by-election if requested, or it may be left vacant and filled at the next scheduled elections.