Parish Council Elections
31 parish councils have scheduled elections in May 2026.
Our first online briefing for Parish Clerks with scheduled elections, and anyone interested in standing as a parish candidate, was held on Thursday 29 January. If you are considering standing as a parish candidate and would like a copy of the presentation slides and/or the recording, please email the Democratic and Elections team.
Further information on the role of parish councillors is available from the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) website.
We are signposting the Electoral Commission nomination papers, which are available as a PDF or Word version from their website. Please note that whilst it's possible to type information into various fields on the form, they must be printed off for signatures and submission by hand.
The Electoral Commission also have a range of support materials available for prospective candidates, that include:
- Detailed guidance for candidates at parish elections
- Advice and guidance regarding the rules for imprints on election material
- A YouTube video that highlights key points when completing a nomination paper
The Association of Electoral Administrators have produced a short, free to use online course that gives detailed guidance on completing a Parish nomination paper. You don't have to create an account to complete the course, you have an option to continue anonymously.
The Cabinet Office have updated their collection of Candidate Security Guidance. All prospective candidates are encouraged to read through the information.
The parishes with scheduled elections, and the number of seats they have, are as follows:
| Parish Council | Number of seats |
|---|---|
| Barford St John & St Michael | 7 |
| Bletchingdon | 7 |
| Bloxham | 12 |
| Broughton | 5 |
| Charlton-on-Otmoor | 7 |
| Deddington | 14 |
| Duns Tew | 7 |
| Epwell | 5 |
| Fencott & Murcott | 5 |
| Finmere | 7 |
| Fringford | 7 |
| Hethe | 7 |
| Horley | 7 |
| Hornton | 7 |
| Horton-cum-Studley | 5 |
| Islip | 7 |
| Kirtlington | 7 |
| Merton | 7 |
| Milcombe | 7 |
| North Newington | 5 |
| Shenington with Alkerton | 5 |
| Shipton-on-Cherwell & Thrupp | 6 |
| Shutford | 7 |
| Sibford Ferris | 5 |
| Sibford Gower | 5 |
| Steeple Aston | 7 |
| Stratton Audley | 7 |
| Swalcliffe | 7 |
| Tadmarton | 6 |
| Weston-on-the-Green | 8 |
| Wroxton | 7 |