See main article: Preston City Council elections.
Elections to Preston City Council took place on 5 May 2016, the same day as other local elections. The council is elected in thirds, which means one councillor from each three-member ward and selected councillors from a number of two-member wards are elected each year, followed by one year free from any elections to ensure all councillors serve a full term.
Due to the "in thirds" system, the 2016 election results below are directly compared with the corresponding elections in 2012, with the change in vote share calculated on this basis.
Prior to the election, the composition of the council was:
| 32 | 20 | 5 | 1 | |
| Labour | Conservative | Lib Dem | Ind |
After the election, the composition was:
| 33 | 19 | 5 | |
| Labour | Conservative | Lib Dem |
There was no election in St George's ward because of an uncontested poll.[1]