The Elections and Democratic Structures Committee of Doncaster Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026 to review recent elections activity and discuss ongoing registration efforts. The meeting's agenda included updates on by-elections held in various town and parish councils, as well as a detailed look at the annual canvass process for the electoral register and changes to postal vote applications.

Elections Activity

The committee was scheduled to receive an update on recent elections activity. This included information on by-elections that had taken place in the borough. Specifically, reports were to cover the Hatfield Town Council by-election for the Dunsville ward held on 12 February 2026, where Sophie Emily Robinson was elected. Another by-election discussed was for Edlington Town Council on 23 April 2026, resulting in the election of Keri Anderson. Further by-elections were scheduled for Armthorpe Parish Council on 2 July 2026, with Mark Phillips elected, and for Stainforth Town Council on the same date, where Glynn Peter Courtney and Lisa Marie Giggins were elected.

The report pack also noted the upcoming changes to the electoral system with the reintroduction of the Supplementary Vote system for Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections, as outlined in the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026. This change will affect the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Election scheduled for 4 May 2028. The report highlighted that all costs associated with Town and Parish Councillor elections are recharged to the respective councils, meaning there is no direct cost to Doncaster Council.

Registration Activity

A significant portion of the meeting was dedicated to Registration Activity, focusing on the Electoral Register and the Annual Canvass. The report detailed the process of maintaining an up-to-date electoral register, which involves an annual review of all residential addresses. The canvass aims to identify individuals who should be registered but are not, and those who have moved and should be removed. A revised electoral register is to be published by 1 December each year.

The report explained the three routes used in the annual canvass: Route 1 for properties where data indicates no change, Route 2 for properties where changes are suspected or the property is empty, and Route 3 for care homes and homes of multiple occupancy. The initial national data matching process, conducted between 1 June and 28 August 2026, showed that 68.5% of properties in Doncaster were matched under Route 1. Electoral Services were continuing to use local datasets to increase this figure.

Furthermore, the committee was to be updated on changes introduced by the Elections Act 2022 concerning postal vote applications. Previously, absent voters had to renew their applications every five years, but this has been reduced to three years. This change affected a substantial number of postal voters, with 71.53% of those required to reapply doing so by the deadline of 31 January 2026. As of June 2026, the total number of postal voters in Doncaster stood at 39,343. The report included a breakdown of postal vote figures by ward, comparing June 2025 to June 2026. The Electoral Registration Officer¹ has a duty to ensure all eligible electors can register to vote and that registration information is accessible, including in alternative formats.