The Elections and Democratic Structures Committee of Doncaster Council met on Tuesday 14 July 2026 to receive updates on elections activity and registration processes. The committee noted information regarding recent by-elections and upcoming changes to electoral law, as well as the ongoing annual canvass and the impact of new postal vote regulations.

Elections Activity

The committee received an update on current elections activity, including by-elections and referendums, and any upcoming changes in election law. It was noted that while Doncaster did not have any scheduled elections for 2026, by-elections and referendums can occur at short notice. The report detailed several recent by-elections:

• Hatfield Town Council By-Election held on 12 February 2026, where Sophie Emily Robinson was elected. The turnout was 16.68%.
• Edlington Town Council By-Election held on 23 April 2026, which saw Keri Anderson elected. The turnout was 8.06%.
• Armthorpe Parish Council By-Election held on 2 July 2026, resulting in the election of Mark Phillips. The turnout was 9.53%.
• Stainforth Town Council By-Election also held on 2 July 2026, where Glynn Peter Courtney and Lisa Marie Giggins were elected. The turnout was 7.69%.

In all these by-elections, the full costs were borne by the respective Town and Parish Councils.

The committee was also informed about the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026¹, which received Royal Assent on 29 April 2026. This Act reintroduces the Supplementary Vote system² for Mayoral and Police and Crime Commissioner elections. The secondary legislation required for this change for Combined Authority Mayors has been made. The next election in Doncaster to use this system will be the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority Election on 4 May 2028. The committee resolved to note the information contained within the report.

Registration Activity

An update was provided on the key workstreams undertaken by the Electoral Services Team concerning the Register of Electors and the Annual Canvass. The report detailed the different routes used for the Annual Canvass, progress made, and the postal vote reapplication process.

The report highlighted the outcome of the 2026 postal vote reapplication, which was the first under the new 3-year rule³. Appendix A showed a breakdown of current ward electorates and postal vote figures at the end of the absent vote re-application process in June 2026 compared to June 2025. The next renewal process had commenced, with 4,296 electors needing to renew their postal vote by 31 January 2027. Contact would be made initially through annual canvass communications, followed by individual emails and letters.

Regarding the response rate to postal votes, it was noted that this typically falls between 50-60%. However, it was believed that the re-application process would lead to a higher turnout of postal votes in future elections, as those who had not used their postal vote in the past five years were likely to be the ones who did not re-apply. The committee resolved to note the information within the report.