{"election_id":"local.essex.2026-05-07","tmp_election_id":null,"election_title":"Essex local election","poll_open_date":"2026-05-07","election_type":{"name":"Local elections","election_type":"local"},"election_subtype":null,"organisation":{"url":"http://elections.democracyclub.org.uk/api/organisations/local-authority/ESS/1998-04-01/","official_identifier":"ESS","organisation_type":"local-authority","organisation_subtype":"CTY","official_name":"Essex County Council","common_name":"Essex","slug":"essex","territory_code":"ENG","election_name":"Essex local election","start_date":"1998-04-01","end_date":null,"created":"1998-04-01T00:00:00Z","modified":"2021-10-11T14:59:26.370579Z"},"group":"local.2026-05-07","group_type":"organisation","identifier_type":"organisation","children":["local.essex.billericay-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.bocking.2026-05-07","local.essex.braintree-eastern.2026-05-07","local.essex.braintree-town.2026-05-07","local.essex.brentwood-hutton.2026-05-07","local.essex.brentwood-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.brentwood-rural.2026-05-07","local.essex.brentwood-south.2026-05-07","local.essex.brightlingsea.2026-05-07","local.essex.broomfield-writtle.2026-05-07","local.essex.burnham-southminster.2026-05-07","local.essex.burstead.2026-05-07","local.essex.canvey-island-east.2026-05-07","local.essex.canvey-island-west.2026-05-07","local.essex.castledon-crouch.2026-05-07","local.essex.chelmer.2026-05-07","local.essex.chelmsford-central.2026-05-07","local.essex.chelmsford-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.chelmsford-springfield.2026-05-07","local.essex.chelmsford-west.2026-05-07","local.essex.chigwell-buckhurst-hill-east.2026-05-07","local.essex.clacton-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.clacton-south.2026-05-07","local.essex.clacton-west-st-osyth.2026-05-07","local.essex.colchester-abbey.2026-05-07","local.essex.colchester-lexden.2026-05-07","local.essex.colchester-maypole.2026-05-07","local.essex.colchester-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.colchester-st-johns.2026-05-07","local.essex.constable.2026-05-07","local.essex.danbury-the-hanningfields.2026-05-07","local.essex.dunmow.2026-05-07","local.essex.epping-theydon-bois.2026-05-07","local.essex.frinton-walton.2026-05-07","local.essex.gloucester-park.2026-05-07","local.essex.great-baddow-galleywood.2026-05-07","local.essex.hadleigh.2026-05-07","local.essex.halstead.2026-05-07","local.essex.harlow-common-church-langley.2026-05-07","local.essex.harlow-netteswell.2026-05-07","local.essex.harlow-parndon-toddbrook.2026-05-07","local.essex.harlow-south-west.2026-05-07","local.essex.harwich.2026-05-07","local.essex.hedingham.2026-05-07","local.essex.laindon-town.2026-05-07","local.essex.loughton-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.loughton-south-buckhurst-hill-west.2026-05-07","local.essex.maldon-rural-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.maldon-rural-south.2026-05-07","local.essex.maldon-town-heybridge.2026-05-07","local.essex.mersea-tiptree.2026-05-07","local.essex.north-weald-nazeing.2026-05-07","local.essex.old-harlow.2026-05-07","local.essex.ongar-rural.2026-05-07","local.essex.pitsea.2026-05-07","local.essex.rayleigh-south.2026-05-07","local.essex.rayleigh-west.2026-05-07","local.essex.rochford-east.2026-05-07","local.essex.rochford-north.2026-05-07","local.essex.rochford-south.2026-05-07","local.essex.saffron-walden.2026-05-07","local.essex.south-benfleet.2026-05-07","local.essex.stansted.2026-05-07","local.essex.stanway-marks-tey.2026-05-07","local.essex.takeley.2026-05-07","local.essex.tendring-rural-east.2026-05-07","local.essex.tendring-rural-west.2026-05-07","local.essex.thaxted.2026-05-07","local.essex.three-fields-great-notley.2026-05-07","local.essex.thundersley.2026-05-07","local.essex.vange.2026-05-07","local.essex.waltham-abbey.2026-05-07","local.essex.westley-heights.2026-05-07","local.essex.wickford-east-bowers-gifford.2026-05-07","local.essex.witham-town.2026-05-07","local.essex.witham-west-rural.2026-05-07","local.essex.wivenhoe-st-andrew.2026-05-07","local.essex.woodham-ferrers.2026-05-07"],"elected_role":"Local Councillor","seats_contested":null,"division":null,"voting_system":{"name":"First-past-the-post","wikipedia_url":"https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/First-past-the-post_voting","description":"A first-past-the-post (abbreviated FPTP, 1stP, 1PTP or FPP) or winner-takes-all election is one that is won by the candidate receiving more votes than any others.","uses_party_lists":false,"slug":"FPTP"},"requires_voter_id":null,"current":true,"explanation":"This is an election for **county councillors**. \r\n\r\nCouncillors represent the people of their division on the council. Councillors are elected for four-year terms. Each county division elects one councillor. \r\n\r\nCounty councils are responsible for many different services, including:\r\n\r\n * Child and adult social care\r\n * Schools and education\r\n * Libraries and museums\r\n * Roads and pavements\r\n\r\nCouncils 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.\r\n\r\n[**Learn more about English local government from New Local.**](https://www.newlocal.org.uk/articles/local-government-explained-part-2-what-do-councils-do/)","metadata":null,"deleted":false,"cancelled":false,"cancellation_reason":null,"replaces":null,"replaced_by":null,"by_election_reason":"","tags":{},"created":"2025-11-24T13:46:11.761636Z","modified":"2026-02-04T14:42:26.645083Z"}