ePetition details

Protect Exeter residents’ right to vote – don’t cancel the 2026 City Council elections

We the undersigned petition the council to proceed with the scheduled May 2026 City Council elections, unless Parliament passes legislation to postpone them.

The last Exeter-wide Exeter City Council (ECC) elections were in May 2024. The City Council is considering whether to request the cancellation of the May 2026 ECC elections because of local government reorganisation.

The City Council needs to tell the Government by 13th January whether it wants to cancel the May 2026 elections.

Cancelling May’s City Council elections might mean that Exeter residents wouldn’t have a chance to vote on ECC’s record until May 2027, ie 3 years after the 2024 elections.

The independent Electoral Commission has stated that capacity constraints are not a legitimate reason for delaying long-planned elections; and has warned of a clear conflict of interest if existing Councils can decide how long they remain answerable to voters. Also, the Labour leader of Plymouth City Council has confirmed that its elections will go ahead.

This ePetition runs from 28/12/2025 to 08/02/2026.

278 people have signed this ePetition.