Types of elections

There are five different types of elections that you may be able to vote in:

• Local elections
• Parish elections
• General (Parliamentary) elections
• Combined Authority Mayoral elections
• Police and Crime Commissioner elections

Local elections

Local elections are held on a four-year cycle. There is an election every year for three years and then no election in the fourth year. In this election you are voting to elect Councillors of Sheffield who will represent your views for the wards (area) in which you live.

Parish elections

Parish elections are held once every four years and usually at the same time as a local election. There are three wards in Sheffield:

• Bradfield Parish Council
• Ecclesfield Parish Council
• Stocksbridge Town Council

You can only vote in a parish election if you live in the parish. If you live in the parish you can vote in parish elections and also in local elections.

General Parliamentary elections

Parliamentary Elections are held when the current Prime Minister calls an election. An election must be held within five years. It is commonly known as a General Election.

In this election you are voting to elect who will represent your views within parliament. They will become a Member of Parliament (MP) and will be given a seat within the House of Commons. The party with the most seats in the House of Commons will form the government and rule the country.

Combined Authority Mayoral elections

Elections to the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority are also held every four years, on the first Thursday in May at the same time as the local elections. The next election to this role will be in May 2026.

Police and Crime Commissioner elections

Police and Crime Commissioner (PCC) elections will be held every four years on the first Thursday in May at the same time as the local elections. The next election to this role will be in May 2024.

Returning Officer information

Every county, district, unitary and metropolitan council in England is required to appoint an officer of the council to be the Returning Officer for local government elections within their local authority area.

In Sheffield, the Returning Officer is also the Local Returning Officer for Police and Crime Commissioner Elections and Combined Authority Mayoral Elections as well as the (Acting) Returning Officer at a Parliamentary election. They are also the Counting Officer for referendums held in Sheffield.

The Returning Officer is a separate function to the council that appointed them and is personally responsible for the conduct elections.

The Returning Officer is impartial and ensures that the election is administered effectively and fairly.