East Sussex
Every election cycle we have data for, most recent first.
Cycles
- 2026 50 races · 50 seats 88.0% below quota
- 2021 50 races · 50 seats 48.0% below quota
- 2017 50 races · 50 seats 26.0% below quota
Council composition as of 2026
50 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, 50 seats were up across 50 wards. The table below shows what each party actually won — alongside what they would have won if the 50 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 | 59,657 | 29.4% | 22 | 44.0% | 15 | 30.0% | +7 |
| Liberal Democrats | 45,383 | 22.4% | 13 | 26.0% | 12 | 24.0% | +1 |
| Green Party | 41,042 | 20.2% | 11 | 22.0% | 10 | 20.0% | +1 |
| Conservative Party | 36,196 | 17.8% | 3 | 6.0% | 9 | 18.0% | -6 |
| Labour Party | 12,428 | 6.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 3 | 6.0% | -3 |
| Independent | 7,234 | 3.6% | 1 | 2.0% | 1 | 2.0% | 0 |
| Rother Association of Independent Councillors | 864 | 0.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 114 | 0.1% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 75 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Heritage Party | 39 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 203,032 | 100.0% | 50 | 100.0% | 50 | 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 | 2017 | 2021 | 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arlington East Hoathly and Hellingly | 56% | ||
| Arlington, East Hoathly and Hellingly | 59% | 38% | |
| Ashdown and Conquest | 62% | 60% | 36% |
| Baird and Ore | 47% | 48% | 44% |
| Battle and Crowhurst | 48% | 53% | 46% |
| Bexhill East | 35% | 29% | 36% |
| Bexhill North | 45% | 58% | 31% |
| Bexhill South | 58% | 40% | 31% |
| Bexhill West | 50% | 43% | 33% |
| Braybrooke and Castle | 59% | 50% | 60% |
| Brede Valley and Marsham | 67% | 53% | 36% |
| Central St Leonards and Gensing | 54% | 45% | 59% |
| Chailey | 60% | 40% | 38% |
| Crowborough North and Jarvis Brook | 66% | 34% | 38% |
| Crowborough South and St Johns | 69% | 56% | 36% |
| Devonshire | 49% | 44% | 44% |
| Forest Row and Groombridge | 46% | 58% | 42% |
| Hailsham Market | 41% | 60% | 43% |
| Hailsham New Town | 52% | 48% | 34% |
| Hampden Park | 55% | 41% | 45% |
| Heathfield and Mayfield | 71% | 59% | 32% |
| Hollington and Wishing Tree | 56% | 50% | 39% |
| Langney | 64% | 64% | 50% |
| Lewes | 55% | 43% | 50% |
| Maresfield and Buxted | 70% | 62% | 33% |
| Maze Hill and West St Leonards | 52% | 54% | 35% |
| Meads | 60% | 46% | 34% |
| Newhaven and Bishopstone | 39% | 40% | 49% |
| Northern Rother | 59% | 60% | 32% |
| Old Hastings and Tressell | 54% | 38% | 54% |
| Old Town | 56% | 49% | 58% |
| Ouse Valley West and Downs | 52% | 51% | 53% |
| Peacehaven | 54% | 47% | 35% |
| Pevensey and Stone Cross | 47% | 50% | 42% |
| Polegate and Watermill | 53% | 54% | 35% |
| Ratton | 63% | 56% | 32% |
| Ringmer and Lewes Bridge | 33% | 51% | 42% |
| Rother North West | 62% | 66% | 31% |
| Rye and Eastern Rother | 56% | 55% | 30% |
| Seaford North | 51% | 50% | 33% |
| Seaford South | 45% | 46% | 55% |
| Sovereign | 64% | 58% | 38% |
| St Anthony's | 59% | 51% | |
| St Helens and Silverhill | 50% | 47% | 29% |
| St. Anthony's | 41% | ||
| Telscombe | 55% | 45% | 33% |
| Uckfield North | 53% | 49% | 32% |
| Uckfield South with Framfield | 60% | 48% | 33% |
| Upperton | 48% | 45% | 48% |
| Wealden East | 57% | 50% | 38% |
| Wealden North East | 68% | 50% | 35% |
| Willingdon and South Downs | 50% | 54% | 36% |