A decision to delay this year's elections at Norwich City Council and other English authorities could be challenged in the courts, as anger mounts at moves to postpone the votes.
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform, has said he will seek a judicial review if the government accepts the request by the City Hall and other councils not to hold ballots in May.
Twenty-five councils across the country have asked ministers to postpone their votes, saying it will help them deliver a proposed reorganisation of local government.
However, the moves have sparked fierce criticism.
Most of the councils seeking a delay - including Norwich - are run by Labour and political opponents have accused them of seeking postponements because they fear defeat at the ballot box.
Norwich Labour councillors voted to seek a deferral during a fiery meeting at City Hall on Wednesday night, where the opposition warned the move risked eroding people's trust in democracy.
Lucy Galvin, leader of the Green Party group on Norwich council, questioned whether the "cost of public confidence" had been calculated, while others called it a political decision at a time when Labour is struggling in the polls.
"This is about doing our best for democracy, a precious thing which is currently under attack," she said.
But Mike Stonard, leader of Norwich's Labour group, denied accusations his party was "running scared" from voters, pointing to a precedent being set in 2019 and 2021, when a raft of other councils had elections delayed while going through a council shake-up.
"The tsunami of change is about to hit, ready or not", he said, warning a huge amount of work will be required once the government announces how Norfolk will be split into new councils.
He added that delaying elections will save at least £250,000 and avoid council work being stalled during the pre-election period.
If the election is delayed, it will mean a third of Norwich's councillors will remain in their role indefinitely, until fresh elections are held for the new unitary authorities.
Nationally, more than a third of eligible councils in England have asked to postpone elections in May.
Last month, ministers told 63 councils they would authorise delays if there were "genuine concerns" about delivering them alongside the overhaul of local government.
Norfolk County Council's Conservative leader Kay Mason Billig had previously said she would not seek a delay to elections for her authority, but she is expected to warn ministers of the pressures officers will face if a vote does go ahead this year.
The council shake-up is the biggest in decades, which aims to remove duplication and simplify local government.
One, two or three unitary authorities will be created in Norfolk, which will provide all council services in a given area.
Ministers are expected to approve the delay requests in the coming days.
Local government secretary Steve Reed has defended the idea of postponing the votes, insisting there was no point in running elections in May for "short-lived zombie councils".
Writing in the Times, he said: "Ask the public if they think it's a good idea to elect thousands of councillors to jobs that are set to be abolished.
"Ask them if they want to protect local government duplication across the country, two chief executives, two sets of councillors, two finance officers and so on.
"Then tell them running a series of elections for short-lived zombie councils will be costly, time-consuming and will take scarce resources away from frontline services like fixing potholes and social care. They would probably say: don't do it."
But Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, has described the move as a "breach of human rights" and has called for a change in law so "ministers cannot simply delay elections at the stroke of a pen."
Conservative shadow local government secretary Sir James Cleverly said: "We are clear that these elections should go ahead.
"Ministers should treat voters with respect instead of disdain, stop undermining our democratic system and let the people of this country make their own decisions," he added.
Aside from Norwich, Norfolk's other district councils are not preparing to hold elections this year.
Norfolk County Council elections were delayed in 2026 and are scheduled to take place in May this year.
Suffolk County Council has warned ministers of capacity issues if they go ahead but said the decision ultimately lies with the government.
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