Guidance for Returning Officers administering Local Government Elections in England

Learning from previous polls

Before you start planning for the election, you should ensure that you have carried out a review of the last equivalent polls.

You should have carried out a thorough evaluation of all processes outlined in your project plan for the previous election, sought feedback from appropriate stakeholders, and produced a lessons learnt document to inform the project plan and risk register for future electoral events. You can find further information in our guidance on Reviewing the election.

The Commission has provided, as part of the template project plan, some sample objectives and suggested tools that will allow you to measure the extent to which the conduct of the election has been successful. The Commission has also provided an evaluation plan as part of the template project plan to assist you with the review process.

Last updated: 9 November 2023