What is a local election?
What is a local election?
There are different elections you can vote in.
A general election
A general election is when you vote to choose who you want to be the
Member of Parliament
A Member of
Parliament
Parliament is a group of people who make laws and check what
the government
The Government are the people who run the country. They decide how much
tax
Tax is the money that pays for things like schools, hospitals and the police. There are different types of taxes like
income tax
Income tax is the money that is taken out of the money you earn every month. It helps to pay for things we all need like hospitals and schools.
,
VAT
VAT is also called Value Added Tax. VAT is the extra money you pay when you buy things. The money goes to the government to pay for things like schools and hospitals.
and
council tax
Council Tax is the money that people pay to the council. It helps to pay for things like social care (support for people), parks and dustbin collection.
.
people should pay for things and how things like the National Health Service should work.
is doing.
(MP) is a person who speaks up about what people in their area need. People in each area choose their MP by voting for them.
(MP) for your local area.
You can find out more about general elections on our What is a General Election? easy read page.
A local election
A local election is when you vote to choose who you want to be your local councillor.
This
easy read
Easy Read is a way of making written information easier to understand. Pictures are usually added next to the writing.
is about local elections.
Your local councillor is part of your local council.
Sometimes local councils are called local government or local authorities.
Your local council decides things like:
- how often your rubbish is collected
- how to look after the roads in your area
- what
leisure
Leisure is when you have time to do things you enjoy like playing sports or going to the pub.
centres there are in your area.
Local councils get their money from different places. These include:
- the Government
- Council Tax
- Business rates. Business rates is money which people who own buildings like pubs, shops and offices have to pay.
Different councillors will have different ideas about the best way to spend the money and how to run local services.
First published 28/04/2025.
Last updated 28/04/2025.