A guide to Coventry’s 2026 local elections

7 May is quickly approaching: meaning local elections are soon to commence in Coventry and Warwickshire.

All 54 seats on Coventry City Council are up for election, and elections will also take place to elect district councillors for Rugby Borough Council and Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council. Although, as the two Warwickshire councils are set to be scrapped by 2028, these councillors will not serve full four-year terms.

Coventry City Council is a Metropolitan District Council, which means it has powers concerning the majority of local services, such as schools, social services, waste collection, and roads. Ultimately, Coventry City Council is overseen by the West Midlands Combined Authority, of which a member of Coventry City Council is indirectly elected to serve on.

To vote, students must have registered before midnight on the 20th April […] and must be living in a postcode in which elections are happening

Conversely, Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council, for example, is a district council, which is devolved from Warwickshire County Council to cover areas such as recycling and council tax collections. County councils are in charge of local services such as education, transport, and maintaining public libraries.

As a result of this, individuals may serve on both county and district councils, such as current Warwickshire County Council leader, George Finch, who is standing as a candidate for Nuneaton and Bedworth Borough Council.

To vote, students must have registered before midnight on the 20th April here, and must be living in a postcode in which elections are happening. For students living on campus, those living in the following accommodations are eligible to vote: Claycroft, Tocil, Arthur Vick, Jack Martin, Rootes, Benefactors, Westwood, and Bluebell.

Students living in these accommodations are in the Wainbody ward, and, if registered, can vote at the polling station located within the University. Students living in Heronbank, Lakeside, and Sherbourne are not eligible to vote, as they are under the jurisdiction of Warwickshire County Council, rather than Coventry City Council.

Students living in Coventry, Earlsdon, and Canley may also be eligible to vote, and should confirm which ward they are in here. To vote in person, students must bring valid photo ID with them, such as a driving license or passport.

Former Warwick student Cllr Grace Lewis, whose nomination was proposed by Student Union VP for Democracy and Development, is currently polling at 17.5%

At the polling station, you must give your name and address to polling staff, and you will be given a ballot paper listing the candidates for your ward. Further information can be found on the government’s guide to voting in local elections.

If you plan on voting by post, you must have applied before 5pm on 21 April to receive your ballot in time for 7 May.

In Wainbody, the Conservative Party are polled to win all three seats, with a projected 42% of the vote. Conservative candidates include Mattie Heaven, who unsuccessfully contested Zarah Sultana in the 2024 General Election for Coventry South; John Blundell, former Lord Mayor of Coventry and incumbent Wainbody councillor; and Prathiba Reddy, deputy Chair of Membership for the Coventry Conservatives.

Polled at a close second are Reform with 28.1%, who have put forward Ashir Anwar, Iddrisu Sufyan, and Steve Arnold. In Tile Hill and Canley, Reform are predicted to win 34.5% of the vote, taking the lead with 16 points over Labour. Their candidates include Marcus Edgar Lapsa, who is an incumbent councillor for the Westwood ward, Steve Keough, and William Dilwyn Davies.

Former Warwick student and Independent Cllr Grace Lewis, whose nomination was proposed by Student Union VP for Democracy and Development, is currently polling at 17.5%.

Conversely, in Earlsdon, Reform and the Greens are both polling at around 26%, with two seats predicted to fall to the Greens, and one to Reform. Prospective Green candidates include Ed Manning, retired primary school teacher Janet Elizabeth Roberts, and former music educator Mike Roberts.