25 Feb Test programme for the May 1 2025 elections

PA conducts tests in advance of elections, and will do so for the polls scheduled for May 1.

Customers are urged to make use of the tests to ensure their systems are correctly set up to handle PA’s elections data.

Tests for the mayoral elections use fictitious candidate names and the results and figures will be randomised. The council election tests use fictitious figures with fairly random council control changes.

All test material is marked clearly as “PA Test” and the word “Test” appears in fictional candidate names.

Users of PA’s elections data in XML format for digital products, accessed via the FTP servers, should note that XML files from tests may be cleared from the test folders a while after the test but will be made available in downloadable zip files on the Example XML page in case still needed. The mayoral tests will also be available via the elections API.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR XML USERS: The IDs of entities provided in the election tests are NOT the same as those provided in the real data, such as for parties. Please do NOT configure your system for a real election event using the IDs provided in the test data. THEY WILL NOT BE THE SAME. See the guidance at XML format

The tests for May 1 will include all 23 councils being contested, and all six mayoral elections.

Tests will include recount messages (where provided), corrections and State of Parties statistics.

The provisional test programme will be published here – further tests will be added:

April 8

Test from around 11am of all 23 councils and six mayorals.

April 16

Test from around 11am of all 23 councils and six mayorals..

April 22

Test from around 6pm of all 23 councils and all six mayorals.

April 30

Nominations will be republished for the council and mayoral elections.

Thursday May 1: polling day

Live event: from 2200 on Thursday May 1 through to very late on Friday May 2, and possibly over the weekend.

The start and end of tests will be notified through alerts on PA Now, wire advisories and on twitter @pressassocpolls.

Dates and times are subject to change. Additional tests will take place as needed.

Customers MUST ensure all test data is cleared from their systems before polling day.