County Council and Parish Council elections - Thursday 1 May 2025

Key facts

• County Council and Parish Council elections will take place throughout County Durham on Thursday 1 May 2025. Residents across the County will be voting to decide who will be elected as their County Councillors for the 51 electoral divisions within County Durham. Residents will also be voting to elect parish councillors in 197 Parish areas across County Durham, if all the seats are contested.
• The Returning Officer (RO) for County Durham is John Hewitt. He will be responsible for the co-ordination of this election across County Durham.
• The first-past-the-post voting system, where you vote for your preferred candidate, and the candidate with the most votes wins the election is used at local elections in England. For divisions/wards with more than one seat available, the candidates with highest number of votes for the seats available will win. For example, if the division has two seats available, the two candidates with the most votes win the seats.
• Previous election results can be viewed at Election results.
• To take part in the County Council and Parish Council elections, you must be registered to vote. You can do this at Register to vote.
• You are required to show photo ID when voting in a polling station. Accepted forms of photo ID include passports, photo driving licences and concessionary travel passes, such as an older person's bus pass. Expired photo IDs will be accepted if the voter is still recognisable from the photo. A full list of accepted photo IDs can be found at Gov.uk: how to vote - photo ID you'll need. If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate - Gov.uk: apply for photo ID to vote (called a ‘Voter Authority Certificate’).
• If you live in County Durham, you can check your polling station location by entering your postcode at Find your polling station.
• You can vote in person on the day, by proxy or by post. See How to vote for further information. For any other queries, please contact Electoral Services on 03000 261 212 or by email at electoralservices@durham.gov.uk.

Important registration dates

Prospective candidates who wish to stand in the County Council and Parish Council elections have until 4.00pm on Wednesday 2 April 2025 to submit their nominations.

If you are a potential County Council candidate or agent, the following information is available:

• Electoral Commission: Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England
• Electoral Commission: Code of Conduct for Campaigners at UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain, local elections in England and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections
• Electoral Commission: Imprints on printed material: Candidates at UK Parliamentary elections and elections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Electoral Commission: Statutory guidance on digital imprints

If you are a potential Parish council candidate, the following information is available:

• Electoral Commission: Guidance for Candidates at Parish council elections in England
• Electoral Commission: Code of Conduct for Campaigners at UK Parliamentary general elections in Great Britain, local elections in England and Police and Crime Commissioner Elections
• Electoral Commission: Imprints on printed material: Candidates at UK Parliamentary elections and elections in England, Wales and Northern Ireland
• Electoral Commission: Statutory guidance on digital imprints

A briefing session for potential candidates and agents will be held via Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 18 March 2025 at 12.30pm. If you wish to attend, please complete the expression of interest form to register your interest.

• Briefing Session for prospective Candidates and Agents form

Nomination packs

If you want to stand as a candidate at the County and Parish election, nomination packs can be requested by completing the request form below.

• Requests for Nomination Pack form

If you are unable to complete the form, please contact electoral services by calling 03000 261 212 or by emailing electoralservices@durham.gov.uk.

Nomination papers for local authority candidates can be found in the Electoral Commission: Resources for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England.

Nomination papers for Parish council candidates can be found in the Electoral Commission: Resources for Candidates at Parish council elections in England.

Important dates for candidates

New electoral divisions for Durham County Council

Following the Local Government Boundary Commission review of County Durham in 2023, changes to the electoral divisions in County Durham will come into force at the County Council elections on 1 May 2025.

The table below shows the number of seats available in each of the new electoral divisions in County Durham.

Candidate spending limit - how much can I spend?

County Council

The spending limit for the regulated period is £960, plus 8p per local government elector in the division registered to vote on the last day for publication of the notice of election in the division which you are standing for. The eligible number of electors in each division is available below.

Eligible Elector Totals for Future County Durham (PDF, 87 KB)

Parish and Town Councils

Your spending limit is £960, plus 8p per local government elector in the parish or town council area which you are standing for. The eligible number of electors in each parish is available below.

Eligible Elector Totals for Parish and Town Council Wards (PDF, 128 KB)

For example

If there are 7,500 electors in a ward, the spending limit is £960 + (7,500 x 0.08) = £1,560

Spending limits for joint candidates (County and Parish Councils)

See Electoral Commission for guidance on spending limits for joint candidates.

• For County - Electoral Commission: Guidance for Candidates and Agents at local government elections in England
• For Parish - Electoral Commission: Guidance for Candidates at Parish council elections in England

Notice of Election

A Notice of Election is a notice to inform you that the County Council and Parish Council elections are taking place.

• Notice of Election - County Council and Parish Council elections

Statement of Persons Nominated including Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Station

The Statement of Persons Nominated is a notice to inform you of who is standing in each division at the County Council election and in each Parish Council ward at the Parish Council elections.

• Statement of Persons Nominated including Notice of Poll and Situation of Polling Stations - County Council and Parish Council elections

Notice of Election agents' names and addresses

Agents can act on behalf of candidates in the County Council elections and are not permitted at Parish Council elections.

• Notice of Election Agents - Agents Names and Offices - County Council elections only

Results

County Council and Parish Council elections results will be published from Friday 2 May 2025 from 10.00am when the counting of the ballot papers will begin.

• County Council and Parish Council elections - Declaration of Result

N.B This page will be updated once each notice once has been published.

Register to vote

The deadline to Register to vote is Friday 11 April 2025. If you're not registered to vote, you'll not be able to vote in this election.

Voter ID requirements

You are required to bring an accepted form of photo ID to the polling station to prove your identity before you can be issued with a ballot paper. 

If you do not have an accepted form of photo ID, you can apply for a free Voter Authority Certificate.

• Gov.uk: how to vote - photo ID you'll need
• Gov.uk: apply for photo ID to vote (called a 'Voter Authority Certificate')

Apply for a postal vote or postal proxy vote

If you want to:

• Vote by post or
• Vote by proxy by post

the deadline to submit your application for this election is 5.00pm on Monday 14 April 2025.

You are now required to provide your national insurance number when applying for a postal or proxy vote.

Apply for a proxy vote

If you want someone to vote on your behalf, you can vote by proxy. The deadline for this election to apply to vote by proxy is 5.00pm on Wednesday 23 April 2025.

Emergency proxy voting

If the proxy deadline has passed and you require an emergency proxy, the deadline to apply for this election is 5.00pm, on Thursday 1 May 2025.

Apply for a proxy or emergency proxy vote

You are now required to provide your national insurance number when applying for a proxy vote.

• Gov.uk: apply for a proxy vote 

Polling cards

• If you applied to Vote in person or to Apply to vote by post before Monday 10 March 2025, you'll receive your polling card from Saturday 22 March 2025.
•  If you applied to Vote in person before Friday 11 April 2025 or to Apply to vote by post before Monday 14 April 2025, you'll receive your polling card from Monday 21 April 2025.

Postal votes

• If you're already registered as a postal voter, or we receive your application to vote by post before Wednesday 2 April 2025, we will send your postal vote out to you on Monday 14 April 2025.
• If we receive your application to vote by post between Thursday 3 April 2025 and Monday 14 April 2025, we'll send your postal vote out to you on Monday 21 April 2025.  

We send all postal votes out by Royal Mail.

Please ensure you post your postal vote back as soon as possible to ensure it is delivered in time. If you don't have time to post it back to us, you can hand it in at your local polling station or at County Hall, Durham, DH1 5UL.

• The easiest and most convenient way to return your postal vote is by posting it in a Royal Mail post box using the pre-paid envelope provided (envelope B).
• Please allow sufficient time for your postal vote to reach us. It must be received by the Returning Officer no later than 10.00pm on Thursday 1 May 2025.
• If you are hand delivering your completed postal vote, for example at a polling station or at reception at County Hall, you will need to complete a statutory form. The polling station or customer services staff will help you with this.
• You may hand deliver your own and no more than 5 other postal votes per election.
• If you are a campaigner, you can only hand in your own postal vote and up to five other postal votes of close relatives or people for whom you provide regular care.
• DO NOT attempt to leave your postal vote in any other Council Office post boxes or Customer Access Points as the staff are not authorised to received postal votes and will not be able to provide the required form to complete. Any postal votes received without the required form will be rejected.
• DO NOT leave your postal vote at reception at County Hall or a polling station desk without completing a form as it will be rejected.

New rules mean your postal vote will be rejected if it is not returned correctly - make sure your vote is counted.

Lost postal vote

If you lose your postal vote, you can contact us for a replacement postal vote from Friday 25 April 2025.

Lost polling card

If you lose your polling card, you can still turn up to your polling station to vote on Thursday 1 May 2025.

Polling station opening hours

Your polling station (stated on your polling card) is open from 7.00am until 10.00pm on Thursday 1 May 2025.

You must bring an accepted form of photo ID (see Voter ID requirements from May 2023) to the polling station to prove your identity before you can be issued with a ballot paper.

If you live in County Durham, you can check your polling station location by entering your postcode at Find your polling station.

See our Vote in person page for information about voting at polling station.

Forgotten to post your postal vote?

If you've forgotten to post your postal vote, you can bring your postal vote along to your local polling station until 10.00pm.

Please note you can only hand in your own postal vote as well as postal votes for up to five other people. If you are a political campaigner, please note you are only able to hand in your own postal vote as well as postal votes for up to five others who are either close relatives or regularly cared for by yourself. Close relatives include an individual's spouse, civil partner, parent, grandparent, brother, sister, child or grandchild. Two people living together as if they were a married couple or civil partners are treated as such.

County Council and Parish Council election results

The verification of the ballot boxes for the County Council and Parish Council elections will start from 10.00pm on Thursday 1 May 2025 at Consett Leisure Centre, Consett and Spennymoor Leisure Centre, Spennymoor.

The counting of the County Council ballot papers will commence from 10.00am on Friday 2 May 2025 at Consett Leisure Centre, Consett and Spennymoor Leisure Centre, Spennymoor.

The counting of the Parish Council ballot papers will commence from 2.00pm on Friday 2 May 2025 at Consett Leisure Centre, Consett and Spennymoor Leisure Centre, Spennymoor.

For information about the 2025 election results, please visit Election results. The actual completion time of the count will be dependent on turnout and other factors, therefore the timings for completion of the count are subject to change.