Punjab local government elections on 14 December? ECP sends draft schedule, nominations from 27 October

Punjab local government elections could be held on Monday 14 December 2026 under a draft schedule the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) sent to the Punjab chief secretary on Thursday, ARY News and Daily Pakistan reported. Nomination papers would be filed from 27 to 30 October and results declared by 17 December. The schedule is a draft: the ECP has asked the Punjab government for its views before it is notified.

Proposed Punjab local government election schedule

ARY gives scrutiny as 2 to 3 November; Daily Pakistan gives 2 to 5 November. We will correct the table to the official notification once it is issued.

Why 14 December

At a consultative meeting last month the Punjab government asked for polling between 15 December and 15 January 2027, and the ECP said it would fit the schedule into that window, The Express Tribune reported. The draft date of 14 December falls one day before that window opens, which is one reason the date may still move when Punjab replies.

What it means for voters in Punjab

• Who elects: voters choose union council members on general seats, the councils that handle birth and death registration, local disputes and small development works in each neighbourhood.
• Are you on the roll? Only people on the electoral roll can vote. Check your entry by sending your CNIC number to 8300 by SMS, the ECP's standard service.
• Turning 18? You must be 18 to vote. Our age calculator tells you your exact age on 14 December.
• Union council papers: if you need a birth certificate from your union council before the code of conduct slows offices down, our NADRA birth certificate guide explains the process and the Rs 100 fee.

For candidates

Anyone planning to stand has about three and a half weeks before nominations open on 27 October, if the draft holds. The nomination form, fee and eligibility rules come with the ECP's notified schedule, and we will add them here the day it is issued.

What happens next

The Punjab government replies to the ECP on the draft. Once the ECP issues the final notification, the schedule becomes binding, the ECP's code of conduct for the polls applies and the nomination window opens. Punjab's last local government elections were held in 2015, so for many voters under 30 this would be their first union council vote.