Type of elections
Elections come in different forms, each playing a vital role in shaping your community, region, and country. From local ward and parish elections to regional and general elections, each type of election gives you the opportunity to influence decisions that affect your everyday life.
Knowing about each type of election helps you stay informed and makes your voice count where it matters most.
Combined Authority Mayoral elections
Parish and town council elections
Parliamentary (general) elections
Police and crime commissioner elections
Local Ward Elections
A ward election, also known as a Local election, takes place to elect a councillor for your local ward who sits on Sunderland City Council.
There are 75 councillors, across 25 wards who sit on Sunderland City Council with your local ward being represented by 3 councillors.
Usually, Local Ward elections take place on the first Thursday of May and elect on four-year cycles, unless a vacancy becomes available, in which case a by-election will take place for that ward.
What is a local election? | Mencap | Easy Read
You can find your local councillors at Members
Parish and town council elections
A parish or town council election is held to elect councillors to sit on your local parish or town council.
There are one parish and town councils in Sunderland. Hetton Town Council is made up of 4 wards - Easington Lane, East Rainton & Moorsley, Hetton Downs and Hetton le Hole.
Parish and town council elections usually take place on the first Thursday in May every four years, unless a vacancy becomes available.
During a term of office, an election can also take place when a vacancy has been advertised, and 10 electors have requested an election for that specific parish or town. If there is no request for an election, then a vacancy can be filled by invitation.
You can find your parish councillors at Councillors - Hetton Town Council
Combined Authority Mayoral elections
Combined authorities are established as the devolved body to allow for the transfer of powers and funding from national to local government to address issues that affect a regional area. This means decisions are made closer to the local people, communities and businesses they affect.
The role of the mayor is to work alongside local leaders to create a long-term vision and secure more investment into the region. The mayor is not a serving councillor, and they will not replace the leaders of the existing councils.
The elected mayor will provide a number of services to the Combined Authority. These include to:
- provide overall vision and leadership
- seek the best value for taxpayers' money
- be directly accountable to the area's electorate
- receive new powers on transport, housing and skills.
The Northeast Combined Authority (NECA) area was established in December 2023, and the first mayor was elected on 2nd May 2024. Elections will take place every four years after that.
The NECA covers the local authority areas of:
- County Durham
- Gateshead
- Newcastle
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- South Tyneside
- Sunderland
North East Mayoral Strategic Authority
Parliamentary (general) elections
A parliamentary election, also known as a general election, is an opportunity for people to choose their Member of Parliament (MP) - the person who will represent their local area (constituency) in the House of Commons for up to five years.
There is normally a choice of several candidates in each constituency, some of which are the local candidates for national political parties. People can only vote for one of the candidates and the candidate that receives the most votes becomes their MP.
There are 3 MPs across our area.
A general election is held every five years unless government calls for one earlier.
A by-election occurs when a seat becomes vacant in the House of Commons due to a:
- resignation
- expulsion
- elevation to the House of Lords
- bankruptcy
- mental illness
- death.
A by-election does not take place if an MP changes their political allegiance.
What is a General Election | Mencap | Easy Read
Sunderland Central MP is Lewis Atkinson
Houghton and Sunderland south MP is Bridget Phillipson
Washington and Gateshead south MP is Sharon Hodgson
Police and crime commissioner elections
Police and crime commissioners oversee local police to make sure they meet community needs. They handle:
- policing strategies
- budgets
- council tax for police
- public information on police activities
- appoint and dismiss chief constables.
The elected police and crime commissioner covers the Northumbria Police area which includes the following council areas:
- Gateshead
- Newcastle
- North Tyneside
- Northumberland
- South Tyneside
- Sunderland
Elections take place in May, every four years.
Police and Crime Commissioners | Electoral Commission
You can view Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner information at Northumbria PCC
Previous election results
You can view the election results for all the different elections we have held dating back to 2016
