Types of elections and electoral boundaries

In County Durham there are different elections you can vote in.

County Council elections

Durham County Council is responsible for providing local services and facilities throughout County Durham. The councillors you vote for have a say in how our council is run, and they also represent you at a local level. Our County Council elections give you the opportunity to elect members (councillors) at a local level.

We currently have 126 elected members who represent 63 wards across the county (see Council's political make-up). From May 2025, the numbers will decrease to 98 elected members and they will represent 51 wards across the county. View the Allocation of elected members based on new local electoral arrangements from May 2025 (PDF, 110 KB).

Our County Council elections take place once every four years, and in between these terms, by-elections are held to fill any vacancies that may occur.

To vote in a county council election you must:

be registered to vote
be 18 or over on the day of the election ('polling day')
be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
be resident at an address in the area you wish to vote in
not be legally excluded from voting

Visit My Durham to see who your local councillors are, or see Your Councillors for a full list of elected members.

Parish and town council elections

Within County Durham there are 13 town councils and 91 parish councils, who are responsible for a single area or neighbourhood. Parish and town powers vary but examples include managing allotments, cemeteries, community centres and village halls, and organising events in the community.

These Parish & Town Councils are run by elected members (councillors). Members are elected for a term of four years and, in between these terms, by-elections are held to fill any vacancies that may occur.

To vote in a parish and town council election you must:

be registered to vote
be 18 or over on the day of the election ('polling day')
be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
be resident at an address in the town or parish you wish to vote in
not be legally excluded from voting

Visit My Durham to see which town or parish you live in.

UK Parliamentary elections (General election)

General Elections (elections to the UK Parliament) give you the opportunity to vote for your MP - the person who will represent your area (constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years.

County Durham has six parliamentary constituencies: City of Durham; North West Durham; Bishop Auckland; North Durham; Easington and Sedgefield. Each constituency has one MP - visit My Durham to see who your MP is.

To vote in a General Election you must:

be registered to vote
be 18 or over on the day of the election ('polling day')
be a British, Irish or Commonwealth citizen
be resident at an address in the UK (or a British citizen living abroad who has been registered to vote in the UK in the last 15 years)
not be legally excluded from voting

Police and Crime Commissioner elections

There are 41 Police and Crime Commissioners (PCCs) in England and Wales who are elected to make sure the police are run properly. County Durham is part of the Durham Police Force area.

To vote in a PCC election you must:

be registered to vote
be 18 or over on the day of the election ('polling day')
be a British, Commonwealth or EU citizen
be resident at an address in England or Wales (excluding London)
not be legally excluded from voting

UK-wide, national and regional referendums

The Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions and Directions) (England) Regulations 2011 (as amended) establishes a legal framework for the conduct of any referendum held across the UK or in Scotland, Wales, England or Northern Ireland. It also applies to regional referendums within England.

Governance referendums

The Local Authorities (Referendums) (Petitions) (England) Regulations 2011 (as amended) also states that a local authority must hold a referendum on whether the council should change to a different form of governance if at least five per cent of the local government electors in that area petition the local authority to do so.

The statutory notice below states the current number of electors needed for verification purposes in relation to any petition presented to the authority.

Publication of Verification Numbers as at February Register

Electoral boundaries

Our map shows the electoral boundaries, electoral divisions and polling districts for County Durham, as well as providing details of the parish boundaries. It also identifies the location of each polling place in the County Durham area and provides the address and postcode of the polling station, to help you find it.