Residents across several Greater Manchester boroughs, including Bolton, Salford, Bury, and Tameside, are set to cast their votes in upcoming local elections on Thursday, May 7. These elections will determine the council representatives for numerous wards, with a significant number of seats contested by a diverse array of political parties and independent candidates.

Voters are reminded of crucial deadlines and requirements for participation. The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday, April 21. Additionally, residents must ensure they are on the electoral register by midnight on Monday, April 20, to be eligible to vote. All voters will also need to present valid identification at polling stations between 7am and 10pm on election day.

In Bolton, 20 out of the 60 ward seats in the town hall chamber are up for grabs, with 113 candidates vying for positions. Five main parties—Labour, Conservatives, Reform, Greens, and Liberal Democrats—are fielding contenders in every ward. The council currently operates under no overall control, though Labour holds the most seats with 25 councillors. The Conservatives have 15, Liberal Democrats six, Farnworth & Kearsley First five, Horwich & Blackrod First three, Communities First Independents four, and both the Greens and Reform have one member each.

Salford residents will elect one councillor for each of the borough’s 20 wards, with the exception of Cadishead and Lower Irlam, where two councillors will be chosen. A total of 109 candidates are participating. Labour currently dominates the Salford council with 50 out of 60 seats, but pockets of Conservative majority exist in Boothstown and Ellensbrook, Worsley and Westwood Park, and Kersal and Broughton, while Liberal Democrats hold the upper hand in Quays. Conservatives, the Green Party, Labour, and Reform UK are contesting every area, alongside 16 Liberal Democrat candidates and individual contenders from other groups like the Trade Unionist, Advance UK, and Your Party.

Bury will see 17 of its 51 ward seats contested by 91 candidates, a notable increase from 60 in 2024. The ward of Unsworth is particularly competitive with seven candidates. The council is currently Labour-controlled, holding 32 of the 51 seats. Radcliffe First has seven seats, Conservatives five, and both Together for Bury and Reform each have three, with one independent. For the first time, Labour, Conservatives, Reform UK, and The Green Party are contesting every ward. Other participating groups include Bury Independents, the Workers Party, Bury Together, Radcliffe First, the Communist Party, and the English Democrats.

Finally, in Tameside, 19 of the 57 council seats are available, with 93 candidates from nine political parties and several independent groups. Parties in contention include Conservatives, Greens, Labour, Lib Dems, Reform, Workers, Tameside Independent Group, Your Party, and The Official Monster Raving Loony Party. Labour currently controls the council with 38 out of 57 seats and will be defending 14. They would need to lose 10 of these without gains elsewhere to lose their majority, a control they have maintained since 1979. Reform, having seen success with Allan Hopwood in last year's Longdendale by-election, and the Green Party are fielding candidates in all 19 wards, with the Greens hoping to build on their recent success in the Gorton and Denton MP election.