All you need to know about Lincolnshire County Council elections
Residents across Lincolnshire will have a chance to elect their next county councillor when polls open on May 1.
County council elections take place every four years, with the last held in 2021. District councils follow a similar cycle, with the most recent elections in 2023—except for the City of Lincoln Council, which holds elections in three out of every four years.
An election for the first ever mayor of Greater Lincolnshire is also being held on the same day.
Bosses had previously been open to deferring this year’s vote as part of an expression of interest in the government’s priority programme for local government reorganisation, but the area was not selected.
Ministers claim the reorganisation would save £2 billion, with new unitary authorities expected to be created by April 2028—making this the final set of elections to be held by Lincolnshire County Council.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of election day:
What is Lincolnshire County Council in charge of?
Lincolnshire County Council is responsible for delivering county-level services across most of Greater Lincolnshire. Northern Lincolnshire is served separately by North Lincolnshire Council and North East Lincolnshire Council.
County services include education, social care, highways, the environment, and health and wellbeing.
Elected councillors represent everyone in their division, regardless of how they voted. Many councillors also take roles on the council’s committees, where they help scrutinise the work of Lincolnshire County Council and other agencies.
The councillors make decisions and help set the policy and vision for the area. These decisions are implemented by permanent council staff, known as council officers, who deliver services on a day-to-day basis.
District-level services—such as rubbish and recycling collection, housing, and local planning—are managed by the area’s seven district councils: Boston Borough Council, City of Lincoln Council, East Lindsey District Council, North Kesteven District Council, South Holland District Council, South Kesteven District Council, and West Lindsey District Council.
What’s the current county council structure?
Since the 2017 elections, Lincolnshire County Council has been under a Conservative majority.
Before that, the council was under no overall control, but with the Conservatives three seats short of a majority, they struck a deal with the Liberal Democrats and several Independents to form a coalition.
Currently, the Conservatives hold 53 of the 70 seats, while Independents hold six, Labour has four, and both Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats hold three each.
Council leader Martin Hill (Conservative) has been at the helm since 2005.
All 70 seats are up for grabs in the forthcoming election.
Who is standing for election?
The Conservatives and Reform UK have fielded candidates for all 70 divisions, whereas Labour and Liberal Democrats are standing in most.
Smaller fringe parties such as Blue Revolution and the Liberal Party are also hoping to make an impact standing in areas of Lincoln, Boston and East Lindsey.
Nominations officially closed on Wednesday, April 2. To see the full list of candidates, please click the link here.
Where and when can I vote?
Polls will be open between 7am and 10pm on Thursday, May 1. The deadline to register to vote has passed - it was midnight on April 11.
To find your nearest polling station, use the link here.
After polls close at 10pm, vote counts will be handled differently depending on the district.
When will the results be announced?
City of Lincoln, Boston, East Lindsey, and South Holland will count through the night, with results expected early or late morning the next day.
In contrast, West Lindsey, North Kesteven, and South Kesteven will begin counting late morning on May 2, with results expected in the early afternoon.
Are any other elections taking place?
Several other local elections are also being held on May 1.
County council elections are taking place in: Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, Devon, Gloucestershire, Hertfordshire, Kent, Lancashire, Leicestershire, Nottinghamshire, Oxfordshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire, and Worcestershire.
Unitary council elections are being held in: Buckinghamshire, Cornwall, County Durham, North Northamptonshire, Northumberland, Shropshire, West Northamptonshire, and Wiltshire.
As well as Greater Lincolnshire, mayoral elections are also being held in five other areas. These are:
* Hull and East Yorkshire
* West of England
* Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
* Doncaster
* North Tyneside
