{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972/section-26",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972/section-26.json",
  "legislation": "ukpga/1972/70",
  "legislation_title": "Local Government Act 1972",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-government-act-1972",
  "path": "section/26",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "26",
  "heading": "Elections of councillors.",
  "text": "(1) The ordinary elections of councillors of the new principal councils shall take place in 2022 and in every fifth year after 2022.\n(2) The term of office of every such councillor shall be five years.\n(3) On the fourth day after any such ordinary election—\n(a) the persons who were councillors immediately before the election shall retire; and\n(b) the newly elected councillors shall assume office.",
  "extent": "W",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "S. 26 substituted (20.3.1995) by 1994 c. 19, s. 4(2) (with ss. 54(5)(7), 55(5), Sch. 17 paras. 22(1), 23(2)); S.I. 1995/546, art. 3, Sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in s. 26(1) substituted (W.) (6.11.2019) by The Local Authorities (Change to the Years of Ordinary Elections) (Wales) Order 2019 (S.I. 2019/1269), arts. 1(2), 3(2)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Word in s. 26(1) substituted (W.) (20.3.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), ss. 14(2), 175(3)(d)"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Word in s. 26(2) substituted (W.) (20.3.2021) by Local Government and Elections (Wales) Act 2021 (asc 1), ss. 14(3), 175(3)(d)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1972/70/section/26",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T10:48:26.887741+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}