Leeds City Council
PIN has consistently delivered successful outcomes for Leeds City Council across multiple election cycles.
The Client:
Electoral delivery at scale, across every election cycle
PIN Communications has worked with Leeds City Council since 2004, delivering electoral print and mail services across local elections, by-elections and referendums.
Leeds is one of the UK’s largest metropolitan authorities, serving more than 580,000 registered electors. Its elections often involve combined polls, overlapping timetables, multiple contests and complex cross-boundary electoral data.
For PIN, the job is not simply to print and post materials. It is to make sure every critical part of the process works together, accurately and on time.
The Challenge:
Electoral communications leave no room for delay.
Leeds requires high volumes of personalised, security-critical materials to be produced and delivered within strict statutory deadlines. Across an election cycle, this can include poll cards, ballot papers, postal voting packs and supporting voter information.
The challenge is intensified by:
- Multiple elections or contests running at once;
- Complex and changing elector data;
- Tightly controlled approval and production windows;
- The need for every pack to be accurately matched, securely produced and dispatched on time.
Any error or delay risks affecting voters, statutory compliance and public confidence.
The approach:
PIN provides Leeds with a fully managed electoral print and mail service, covering artwork, print, data handling, pack assembly and postal dispatch.
Each project follows a structured process:
- Pre-production – Planning, data validation, deadline management, proof approvals and risk assessment.
- Live production – Secure print, automated matching, pack assembly and controlled postal dispatch.
- Post-production – Reconciliation, audit reporting and review to identify further efficiencies.
PIN’s delivery model is built to handle concurrent and overlapping election activity, with clear control points throughout production to manage risk and keep statutory deadlines on track.
Proven delivery: 2023:
During the 2023 Local elections, PIN delivered more than 1.2 million individual items within a ten-day window.
This included:
- More than 178,000 postal vote packs;
- Multiple contests processed simultaneously;
- Poll cards, ballot papers and voting packs issued to deadline;
- 100% on-time dispatch rate.
The programme exceeded Leeds City Council’s contractual KPIs during one of its most intensive operational periods.
Trusted again: May 2026:
For the May 2026 polls, Leeds City Council again worked with PIN to provide artwork, print and delivery for poll cards, postal packs and ballot papers.
The project required close management of artwork, briefs, data, proof approvals and production deadlines, ensuring every stage of the election timetable was understood and managed from the outset.
Given the scale of the electorate and the production demands around postal voting, PIN also arranged a site visit to the postal vote production partner. This gave the Leeds team direct visibility of the workflow, procedures and capacity behind the delivery.
2026 delivery at a glance:
- 580,000 poll cards
- 117,832 postal votes
- 5,185 ballot books, equating to 518,500 ballot papers
All poll cards, postal packs and ballot papers were delivered to statutory timetable
Using a West Yorkshire production partner also supported Leeds City Council’s social-value goals, helping keep production local while supporting efficient delivery and speed to mailbox.
“Sharon’s extensive knowledge of electoral processes and legislation, combined with her experience in supporting electoral administrators, ensured that the service we received was both professional and reassuring throughout. A dependable and knowledgeable print supplier plays a vital role in the successful delivery of elections, and PIN Communications has proven to be a trusted partner in this regard.”
— Susanna Benton, Head of Electoral Services and Deputy Returning Officer, Leeds City Council
Results
PIN’s longstanding relationship with Leeds City Council reflects its ability to deliver accurate, secure and time-critical electoral communications at scale.
Across both the 2023 and 2026 election cycles, PIN has combined robust planning, specialist electoral knowledge and controlled production to help Leeds deliver elections with confidence.
Trusted partnerships. Real results.
When you partner with PIN Communications, the proof is in the pudding with our results. Our business strives to deliver nothing short of exceptional results.
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