Speculation has been rampant in Westminster over recent weeks that the Labour government are planning on postponing a number of local elections that are due to be held in May of this year.
In November of last year, the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government gave reassurances to it’s respective Commons Select Committee that all elections in May 2026 would go ahead. The Chairman of the Committee, Florence Eshalomi, stating yet she was concerned that ‘we are seeing a postponement yet again’ despite the Secretary of State ‘repeatedly’ telling the committee that they would be going ahead just before Christmas.
Data collected and published by the Office for National Statistics has tracked the concerns of voters through a series of surveys in the two most recent electoral periods; the 2024 General Election, and the 2025 Local Elections.
The response from voters is a stark one tracking a significant rise in concerns held, in all surveys, except the one held immediately after the 2024 General Election.
According to the ONS data, voters broadly consider the safety of candidates and voter identification requirements to be a constant issue, unaffected by other changes, but of low priority compared to concerns about bias in the media or the spread of misinformation and fake news.
Most notably, the number of voters who said they had no concerns about the future of elections in the UK jumped from 15 percent before the general election, to 31 percent the following month, before crashing down to 11 percent in the seven months to March 2025.
On this question, there is a significant split between the position of voters 30+ and the 16 to 29 age group, the latter of which are shown to be the least apathetic during the period directly before the general election. In the July 2024 survey following polling day, and the change of government from the Conservatives to Labour, they were also the most hesitant age group to state that they had no concerns about the future of elections as well, with just 22 percent stating they had no concerns, compare to 35 percent in the 50 to 69 age group. By March 2025 however, the number of voters surveyed who no concerns about future elections had fallen drastically, by up to 23 points, with all age groups hitting a record low.
Voters also continue to have significant concerns about foreign interference in elections. The recent conviction of Reform UK’s former leader in Wales, Nathan Gill, for taking pro-Russian bribes from Oleg Voloshyn, who was working on the behalf of a “close friend” of Vladimir Putin, according to the BBC.
Those with the greatest concerns are those in the over 70s age group, who are mirroring their concerns today, to those they held during the cold war. In contrast, the 16 to 29 were far less concerned about foreign interference before the 2024 general election, but have become increasingly worried since the general election.
All groups have displayed substantial concerns about the spread of misinformation, with those concerns trending upwards in the approach to the 2024 general election.
The post election survey recorded a decline of around 20 percent. However, the 16 to 29 age group saw the smallest decrease, with around 50 percent still concerned, compared with 42 percent among those aged 50 to 69.
By March 2025, concern had risen again across all groups, reaching a new peak of over 75 percent.
Voters also expressed significant concern about media bias. The 16 to 29 age group stood out, with concern rising in the period immediately before the general election, in contrast to a largely stable pattern among other age groups.
Although this concern fell slightly after polling day, it remained above 50 percent. By comparison, concern among those aged 50 to 69 fell sharply over the same period, dropping by more than 20 points, before all groups saw a significant rise again by March 2025, illustrating further dissatisfaction.
Understanding the concerns of the electorate should be at the forefront of ensuring that views about democracy are addressed correctly by government and local authorities. With trends painting the starkest picture about electoral disillusionment ahead of this year’s local elections, the consequences that could emerge from their cancellation, even if partial, will only serve to heighten existing concerns about the democratic system.
The response from voters is a stark one tracking a significant rise in concerns held, in all surveys, except the one held immediately after the 2024 General Election.
According to the ONS data, voters broadly consider the safety of candidates and voter identification requirements to be a constant issue, unaffected by other changes, but of low priority compared to concerns about bias in the media or the spread of misinformation and fake news.