Politics

Preston Residents Access Candidate Donor Lists Four Weeks Before Elections

Preston residents gain access to candidate donor lists and asset declarations through the council website four weeks before any local poll.

By Preston Policy Desk · Published 8 July 2026

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The Local Elections Candidate Information Regulations 2025 took effect on 1 July 2026 and require every candidate for Preston City Council to file detailed donor lists and asset declarations that the council must publish online no later than 28 days before polling.

The regulations apply to the 48 seats across 22 wards and cover donations above £500 as well as any property or business holdings valued over £20,000. They follow amendments passed in the 2025 Electoral Administration Act that extended similar national rules to English district councils.

Information available to households

Residents in wards such as Ribbleton and Deepdale will be able to view whether a candidate received funds from developers active on the A583 corridor or from firms bidding for waste contracts. The declarations also list directorships that could affect planning applications or council tax setting, which currently stands at £1,835 for a band D property in Preston.

Policy analysts note that the data will appear in searchable PDF format on the Preston City Council elections page, allowing voters to cross-check entries against Companies House records before deciding on issues such as local road maintenance budgets or library opening hours.

Next deadlines and access points

The government projects the first full set of disclosures for any by-election will be posted by 15 August 2026. Eligible voters can register to receive email alerts through the council’s electoral services office at Town Hall, or check printed copies at Preston Central Library on Friargate.

According to the Electoral Commission’s 2023 report on English local elections, average turnout across similar district contests stood at 32 per cent; officials expect the new disclosures to be examined most closely in wards where recent contests were decided by fewer than 200 votes.

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