Sheffield elections 2022: Looking at turnout of previous votes

We've taken a look at what turnout was like across Sheffield when voters last headed to the polls to vote for their preferred ward councillors.

Electoral Commission data shows that at the last local council elections in 2021, 404,983 people in the area were eligible to vote, with 138,712 of them returning valid ballot papers – equating to a valid voter turnout of 34.3 per cent.

Around 66,000 postal votes were included in the count, while 719 votes were rejected, which can occur if a paper is not marked properly or has been spoiled.

Including votes rejected at the count, the ballot box turnout in Sheffield that year was 34.4 per cent, which was lower than the England average of 35.7 per cent.

Last year was a bumper year for elections, with people across England and Wales also responsible for choosing the Police and Crime Commissioner for their area – the person who will hold their local force to account and ensure it is serving the needs of the community.

In Sheffield, 139,977 people cast a vote at the 2021 South Yorkshire PCC election, which was a turnout of 34.6 per cent.

National issues such as the surging cost of living, Ukraine and partygate will be on voters' minds this year – but residents across Great Britain still want councils to focus on improving local roads and housing, according to a poll.

A survey carried out by Ipsos ahead of the May 5 elections found 50 per cent of Britons thought improving the condition of roads and pavements should be a top priority for councils.

That figure rose to 60 per cent in Wales and 63 per cent in Scotland, while in London only a third of people thought roads were a priority.

Second on the list was providing affordable, decent housing, with 39 per cent of voters telling Ipsos this area was most in need of improvement.

Gideon Skinner, head of political research at Ipsos, said: “Although most people are pretty happy with where they live, they still want to see improvements, particularly on roads, housing, high streets and the local cost of living – all of which are regular bugbears for residents.

“And these can all vary by where you live, for example, crime is a particular issue in London, while in the rest of the South East, traffic congestion is a bigger priority.”