Elections and boundaries play a key role in establishing democratic clarity and confidence during Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).
As new authorities are formed, residents, members, partners and staff look for clear information about representation, electoral arrangements and how upcoming elections will be delivered. Effective planning and communication help ensure that new warding arrangements, electoral cycles and governance structures are understood, accessible and ready for implementation. This preparation supports a smooth transition into the new authority and reinforces transparency and trust.
During their LGR preparations, councils can:
- Draw on guidance from the Local Government Boundary Commission for England, which sets out how interim electoral arrangements, warding considerations and council size principles can be developed in the context of LGR.
- Use the Electoral Commission’s planning guidance for Returning Officers to support activities such as timetabling, polling arrangements, nominations, data reconciliation and candidate engagement, ensuring all statutory steps are delivered consistently.
- Coordinate electoral register reconciliation and data cleansing early across predecessor councils so the new authority begins with accurate, aligned electoral data.
- Review polling districts and polling place arrangements using the practical checklists and templates provided by the Electoral Commission to ensure accessibility, local identity and voter experience are prioritised.
- Develop clear, resident-friendly communication tools, explaining how representation will work, what is changing and when local people can expect updated information.
This collaborative approach helps councils create a consistent and transparent process for residents and candidates. Cross-council working ensures that electoral staff, democratic services and communications teams share a common plan and can prepare confidently for key milestones.
Top resources
Councillor numbers and boundaries
Elections
Further reading
Data collection
Highlighted pages
LGR Toolkit
This toolkit hub brings together resources from across the sector to help those going through local government reorganisation (LGR).
LGR: Checklist
The following checklist outlines a range of key actions that must be undertaken at each stage of the LGR process, along with links to resources that will help councils to deliver those actions.