Colchester
Every election cycle we have data for, most recent first.
Cycles
- 2026 17 races · 17 seats 94.1% below quota
- 2024 17 races · 18 seats 38.9% below quota
- 2023 17 races · 17 seats 29.4% below quota
- 2022 17 races · 18 seats 16.7% below quota
- 2021 17 races · 19 seats 36.8% below quota
- 2019 17 races · 17 seats 29.4% below quota
- 2018 17 races · 17 seats 52.9% below quota
- 2016 17 races · 51 seats 0.0% below quota
Council composition as of 2026
51 councillors, by party. One square per seat. Source: opencouncildata annual snapshot — reflects the council at the end of 2026 (after that year's elections, by-elections and defections). Hover any seat for the party.
Most recent election (2026)
In 2026, 17 seats were up across 17 wards. The table below shows what each party actually won — alongside what they would have won if the 17 seats had been shared in proportion to votes received (how, with caveats). The Δ column is the actual seat count minus the proportional seat count — positive numbers are parties First-Past-the-Post over-represented; negative are parties it under-represented.
| Party | Votes | Vote % | Seats won | % of seats | Proportional seats | Proportional % | Δ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Reform UK | 17,092 | 29.3% | 5 | 29.4% | 5 | 29.4% | 0 |
| Conservative Party | 12,384 | 21.2% | 5 | 29.4% | 4 | 23.5% | +1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 10,949 | 18.8% | 3 | 17.6% | 3 | 17.6% | 0 |
| Green Party | 9,143 | 15.7% | 1 | 5.9% | 3 | 17.6% | -2 |
| Labour Party | 8,322 | 14.3% | 3 | 17.6% | 2 | 11.8% | +1 |
| Independent | 441 | 0.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 58,331 | 100.0% | 17 | 100.0% | 17 | 100.0% | 0 |
Vote share vs seats won
The top bar is each party's share of votes cast in this council. Below, one square per seat, coloured by the party that won it — first the actual First-Past-the-Post result, then what a proportional method would have produced from the same vote totals. Divergence between the bar and the actual grid is the indictment of the method.
Full ward-by-ward results for 2026 →
Composition history
One row per opencouncildata annual snapshot — the council at the end of each year (after that year's elections, by-elections and defections). Newest first; hover any seat for the party.
Ward by ward
Each row is a ward, each column a cycle. Each cell shows the top-of-poll candidate's party (swatch) and their share of valid ballots. Wards are matched by name across cycles — boundary reviews can mean a ward of the same name is a slightly different area in a later cycle.
| Ward | 2016 | 2018 | 2019 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Berechurch | 82% | 63% | 53% | 68% | 69% | 66% | 79% | 38% |
| Castle | 33% | 31% | 56% | 38% | 50% | 50% | 44% | 44% |
| Greenstead | 56% | 51% | 48% | 52% | 59% | 59% | 64% | 35% |
| Highwoods | 51% | 45% | 53% | 35% | 41% | 47% | 45% | 28% |
| Lexden and Braiswick | 63% | 66% | 62% | 72% | 52% | 58% | 56% | 45% |
| Marks Tey and Layer | 70% | 59% | 65% | 67% | 57% | 55% | 53% | 38% |
| Mersea and Pyefleet | 56% | 42% | 30% | 70% | 65% | 40% | 36% | 38% |
| Mile End | 68% | 49% | 62% | 65% | 66% | 61% | 68% | 50% |
| New Town and Christ Church | 41% | 42% | 36% | 43% | 46% | 42% | 57% | 32% |
| Old Heath and the Hythe | 46% | 61% | 52% | 53% | 64% | 59% | 59% | 40% |
| Prettygate | 68% | 61% | 54% | 78% | 46% | 42% | 51% | 37% |
| Rural North | 72% | 68% | 61% | 64% | 57% | 56% | 58% | 42% |
| Shrub End | 51% | 38% | 42% | 37% | 39% | 39% | 38% | 34% |
| St Anne's and St John's | 54% | 43% | 44% | 42% | 52% | 54% | 45% | 47% |
| Stanway | 45% | 46% | 53% | 46% | 54% | 59% | 40% | 33% |
| Tiptree | 72% | 67% | 64% | 72% | 62% | 54% | 45% | 39% |
| Wivenhoe | 36% | 49% | 67% | 38% | 57% | 74% | 52% | 46% |