skip to content

Sunderland local election

Ryhope ward

This election will be held on Thursday 7 May 2026.

  • This is an election for metropolitan borough councillors.

    Councillors represent the people of their ward on the council. Councillors are elected for four-year terms. Most wards are represented by more than one councillor, which is why you may have more than one vote.

    Metropolitan borough councils are responsible for many different services, including:

    • Child and adult social care
    • Schools and education
    • Rubbish collection and recycling
    • Housing and planning
    • Libraries and museums
    • Roads and pavements
    • Sports facilities and public parks

    Councils are funded by a combination of council tax, business rates, and grants from the UK government. Councillors are not paid a salary, but they do receive financial compensation and expenses to cover their time and travel commitments.

    Learn more about English local government from New Local.

You will have three votes, and can choose from 15 candidates.

Get ready to vote:

  • How to vote

    This election uses First-past-the-post.

    Mark an X in the box for your preferred candidates.

    You can mark up to three candidates.

    Read the instructions at the top of your ballot paper carefully.

    For more information, visit The Electoral Commission's website or ask an official at your polling station.

  •

    You should get a "poll card" through the post telling you where to vote.

    If you haven't got one, or aren't sure where to vote, you should call Sunderland City Council on 0191 520 5550.

    Sunderland City Council
    https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/
    elections@sunderland.gov.uk

    Read more about how to vote.

  • You will need to take photo ID to vote at a polling station in this election

    You do not need your poll card to vote. You must vote at your assigned polling station.

    If you do not have a photo ID that allows you to vote, you can apply for a Voter Authority Certificate before 28 April 2026

  • Register to vote

    You need to be registered in order to vote. If you aren't registered to vote visit https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote

    Register before midnight on 20 April 2026 to vote on 7 May 2026.

    Send your postal and proxy vote applications to your local electoral registration team. You can also contact them to find out if you’re on the electoral register, and if you already have a postal or proxy vote.

    Sunderland City Council Electoral Services
    Sunderland City Council
    City Hall
    Plater Way
    Sunderland
    SR1 3AA
    https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/
    elections@sunderland.gov.uk

  • Voting by post

    If you know that you won't be able to get to the polling station on polling day, you can vote by post. You have until 21 April 2026 to Apply for a postal vote.

    Read more about applying for a postal vote.

    Ballot papers for the election on 7 May 2026 will not be printed until after 9 April 2026. If you have a postal vote, your local council will send your postal voting pack around three weeks before polling day.

    If you are away from home before or shortly after 9 April 2026, and will not return before polling day, your postal vote will not reach you in time for you to use it. In this case, you should consider applying for a proxy vote instead.

    If you have not received your postal voting pack, you can contact Sunderland City Council on 0191 520 5550.

    Sunderland City Council
    https://www.sunderland.gov.uk/
    elections@sunderland.gov.uk

    Replacement packs can only be issued from 30 April 2026 until 5pm on 7 May 2026.

  • Add future elections in SR2 0HW to your calendar

    Manually subscribe by following these simple steps for your chosen calendar tool:

    1. In your calendar app settings, choose the option for adding a new calendar.
    2. If presented with the option to choose a calendar type, choose web calendar.
    3. Enter this URL and save: webcal://whocanivotefor.co.uk/elections/SR2%200HW.ics

Did you find what you were looking for?
Has this service changed your likelihood of voting?

If you provide an email address, we may contact you to request more information or notify you of improvements related to this report. It will not be used for email marketing purposes.