Oldham residents are preparing to head to the polls on Thursday, May 7, 2026, for the local elections, with a record-breaking 127 candidates contesting a third of the council seats across the borough's 20 wards.

This year's elections are set to be a tough fight, with a record number of candidates. In three wards – Alexandra, Crompton and Waterhead – as many as seven candidates are standing, while most other wards have five or six.

Currently, the town is run by a Labour administration with 27 councillors out of 60. At the last local elections, Labour lost its overall majority of 31, meaning it had to team up with a small group of independents to survive two no confidence votes against its leader, Councillor Arooj Shah.

The remainder of the council is made up of two main opposition groups: the Liberal Democrats and the Oldham Group Party, who each have nine members, as well as six Conservatives, three Reform UK members, and a total of six independents, including local groups such as the Failsworth Independent Party and the Royton Independents.

In the upcoming vote, Reform UK and the Green Party are both fielding candidates in every ward for the first time. Labour is fighting for seats in every ward except Royton North, while the Liberal Democrats are standing everywhere except Crompton.

There are also 13 Conservative candidates, eight Oldham Group Party candidates – including one backed by George Galloway's Workers Party of Britain – and 13 independents. Further smaller groups include Independent Northern Heart, the National Housing Party, and the Failsworth Independent Party.

Voters are reminded of key deadlines. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Residents have until midnight on Monday, April 20, 2026, to ensure they are on the electoral register and entitled to vote.

Among the candidates already announced is John Lawrence, representing the National Housing Party Oldham People First in the Alexandra ward. A full list of candidates will be published as details emerge.