Local elections 2023: When polling stations will close and results announced from Bournemouth to Barnsley

The 2023 local elections take place across many areas of England today, with thousands of council seats at stake. The elections are a chance for people to vote for who runs local infrastructure. 

The 2023 elections will be the biggest round of local elections since 2019. Officials will be elected onto 230 councils in England on May 4. There will also be mayoral elections in Bedford, Leicester, Mansfield and Middlesbrough.  

Polling stations up and down the country opened at 7am this morning, with people having all day and some of the night to cast their vote. This election is also historic as it is the first local election in which you will need to take a form of ID in order to take part in the ballot. 

When you arrive at the polling station, you will give your name and address to one of the officials. You’ll then need to provide a photo ID to prove your identity, this ID can take many forms including drivers licence or UK passport. 

When do polling stations close today? 

Polling stations are open for a total of 16 hours today, giving voters the chance to visit before and after their busy day. Open from 7am, polling stations will close at 10pm. 

When will results for the local elections 2023 be announced? 

When polling stations close, officials try to get the results turned around as swiftly as possible. Predicting exactly when results will be announced can be tricky but if 2019 is used as a marker, no results will be announced before midnight on May 5. 

Broxbourne Council was the first to declare results in 2019, with results being announced at 12.30am. However, some results may not be announced until as late as 7 or 8pm on May 5 so it is recommended you keep up to date through the social media or website of your local authority.