← Epping Forest (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

Epping Forest 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

18 ward races

18 seats

13 elected below the proportional quota

72.2% of seats below quota

How to read this page

Each race below shows the share of valid ballots the marginal elected candidate actually won, and compares it to the proportional quota: the share they'd need to clinch the seat under any proportional voting method (1 seats + 1). For a 1-seat ward the quota is 50%; for 2 seats, 33.3%; for 3 seats, 25%.

Where the actual winning share fell below the quota, we show the signed gap as points below quota (a negative number) — the editorial indictment. Above-quota results clear the bar and pass without comment. The voting method is the subject of every observation here. Named candidates appear as the public election record requires; the cause being audited is the voting method, not the individuals. See the methodology page for derivations.

If votes were counted by party

Across the 18 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 18 seats had been shared out 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	18,522	40.7%	11	61.1%	9	50.0%	+2
Conservative Party	11,980	26.3%	4	22.2%	5	27.8%	-1
Liberal Democrats	4,089	9.0%	0	0.0%	1	5.6%	-1
Independent Loughton Residents Association	3,686	8.1%	3	16.7%	1	5.6%	+2
Labour Party	3,278	7.2%	0	0.0%	1	5.6%	-1
Green Party	2,442	5.4%	0	0.0%	1	5.6%	-1
Independent	1,424	3.1%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
English Democrats	78	0.2%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	5	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	45,504	100.0%	18	100.0%	18	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.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

Council composition: what this election replaced

Two opencouncildata snapshots: the council immediately after the 2026 election (current) and immediately before it (2025). Only ~⅓ of seats were contested in 2026 — most of the bench is unchanged, and the cycle's effect on the overall composition is what shifts.

Current (2026)

Previous (2025)

Wards in this council

Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.

Grange Hill · 1 seat · won at 32.6% · −17.4 pts below quota
Epping East · 1 seat · won at 33.8% · −16.2 pts below quota
Epping West and Rural · 1 seat · won at 34.4% · −15.6 pts below quota
Buckhurst Hill West · 1 seat · won at 34.5% · −15.5 pts below quota
Loughton Roding · 1 seat · won at 35.8% · −14.2 pts below quota
Loughton St John's · 1 seat · won at 37.8% · −12.2 pts below quota
Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge · 1 seat · won at 38.1% · −11.9 pts below quota
Loughton Fairmead · 1 seat · won at 40.2% · −9.8 pts below quota
Loughton Forest · 1 seat · won at 44.0% · −6.0 pts below quota
Theydon Bois with Passingford · 1 seat · won at 44.8% · −5.2 pts below quota
Waltham Abbey West · 1 seat · won at 46.8% · −3.2 pts below quota
Roydon and Lower Nazeing · 1 seat · won at 47.3% · −2.7 pts below quota
North Weald Bassett · 1 seat · won at 49.5% · −0.5 pts below quota
Waltham Abbey South and Rural · 1 seat · won at 50.3% · above quota
Rural East · 1 seat · won at 50.9% · above quota
Chigwell with Lambourne · 1 seat · won at 51.1% · above quota
Waltham Abbey North · 1 seat · won at 52.9% · above quota
Ongar · 1 seat · won at 57.4% · above quota

Race results

Grange Hill · single-seat

Marginal winner 32.6% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −17.4 pts Valid ballots 2,231

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jamie Braha	Conservative Party	727	32.6%	−17.4 pts	Elected
2	Yair Cohen	Reform UK	580	26.0%	—
3	Erika Skingsley	Independent	379	17.0%	—
4	Syed Sadaf	Labour Party	247	11.1%	—
5	Debby Rye	Independent	158	7.1%	—
6	Richard M. Griffiths	Liberal Democrats	140	6.3%	—

Electorate 6,196 · Ballots cast 2,242 · Invalid 11 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.grange-hill.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Epping East · single-seat

Marginal winner 33.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −16.2 pts Valid ballots 2,980

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Karen Batley	Reform UK	1,007	33.8%	−16.2 pts	Elected
2	Edward Matthew Barnard	Liberal Democrats	964	32.3%	—
3	Ian Roberts	Conservative Party	557	18.7%	—
4	Cherry Sharon McCredie	Independent	364	12.2%	—
5	James Murchison	Labour Party	88	3.0%	—

Electorate 5,593 · Ballots cast 2,989 · Invalid 9 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.epping-east.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Epping West and Rural · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.6 pts Valid ballots 2,869

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Holly Whitbread	Conservative Party	986	34.4%	−15.6 pts	Elected
2	Andrew Smith	Reform UK	954	33.3%	—
3	Alex John Frost	Liberal Democrats	929	32.4%	—

Electorate 5,264 · Ballots cast 2,882 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.epping-west-rural.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Buckhurst Hill West · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.5 pts Valid ballots 2,579

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Smruti Patel	Conservative Party	891	34.5%	−15.5 pts	Elected
2	Yvonne Hrusa	Reform UK	775	30.1%	—
3	Eric D. Aradeon	Green Party	572	22.2%	—
4	Ish Singh	Liberal Democrats	149	5.8%	—
5	Alain Laviolette	Labour Party	139	5.4%	—
6	C J Ubah	Independent	53	2.1%	—

Electorate 5,190 · Ballots cast 2,595 · Invalid 16 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.buckhurst-hill-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Loughton Roding · single-seat

Marginal winner 35.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −14.2 pts Valid ballots 2,249

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Chidi Nweke	Independent Loughton Residents Association	806	35.8%	−14.2 pts	Elected
2	Neil Carlsson	Reform UK	786	34.9%	—
3	Chris Hill	Green Party	269	12.0%	—
4	Manraj Atwal	Conservative Party	198	8.8%	—
5	Debbie Wild	Labour Party	127	5.6%	—
6	Peter John Sinfield	Liberal Democrats	63	2.8%	—

Electorate 5,735 · Ballots cast 2,255 · Invalid 6 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.loughton-roding.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Loughton St John's · single-seat

Marginal winner 37.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −12.2 pts Valid ballots 2,611

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Graham Wiskin	Independent Loughton Residents Association	986	37.8%	−12.2 pts	Elected
2	Adam Riches	Reform UK	904	34.6%	—
3	David Saunders	Conservative Party	336	12.9%	—
4	Joe Fellows	Green Party	215	8.2%	—
5	Alastair Smith	Labour Party	108	4.1%	—
6	Ralph Cox	Liberal Democrats	62	2.4%	—

Electorate 5,446 · Ballots cast 2,619 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.loughton-st-johns.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Buckhurst Hill East and Whitebridge · single-seat

Marginal winner 38.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −11.9 pts Valid ballots 2,783

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	James Small	Reform UK	1,060	38.1%	−11.9 pts	Elected
2	Elizabeth Gabbett	Green Party	932	33.5%	—
3	Joanna Farmer	Conservative Party	547	19.7%	—
4	Naomi E. Davies	Liberal Democrats	244	8.8%	—

Electorate 5,827 · Ballots cast 2,802 · Invalid 19 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.buckhurst-hill-east-whitebridge.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Loughton Fairmead · single-seat

Marginal winner 40.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.8 pts Valid ballots 2,081

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Natalie Wilding-Barrett	Reform UK	837	40.2%	−9.8 pts	Elected
2	David J. Wixley	Independent Loughton Residents Association	721	34.6%	—
3	Joseph Downie	Green Party	246	11.8%	—
4	Tom Ayre	Labour Party	148	7.1%	—
5	Shivaje Karari	Conservative Party	129	6.2%	—

Electorate 5,512 · Ballots cast 2,086 · Invalid 5 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.loughton-fairmead.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Loughton Forest · single-seat

Marginal winner 44.0% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −6.0 pts Valid ballots 2,668

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Richard H. Cohen	Independent Loughton Residents Association	1,173	44.0%	−6.0 pts	Elected
2	Jon Bryan	Reform UK	685	25.7%	—
3	Mari-louise Whitbread	Conservative Party	424	15.9%	—
4	Hannah Lovell	Green Party	208	7.8%	—
5	Elizabeth Marsh	Labour Party	109	4.1%	—
6	Glenn A. Hernandez	Liberal Democrats	64	2.4%	—
7	Scott Jones	Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition	5	0.2%	—

Electorate 5,363 · Ballots cast 2,681 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.loughton-forest.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Theydon Bois with Passingford · single-seat

Marginal winner 44.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −5.2 pts Valid ballots 2,787

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Geoff Shaw	Reform UK	1,249	44.8%	−5.2 pts	Elected
2	Sue Jones	Conservative Party	856	30.7%	—
3	Rahim Hussein	Liberal Democrats	548	19.7%	—
4	Christine Mortimer	Labour Party	76	2.7%	—
5	William Ayrton	Independent	58	2.1%	—

Electorate 5,208 · Ballots cast 2,795 · Invalid 8 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.theydon-bois-with-passingford.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Waltham Abbey West · single-seat

Marginal winner 46.8% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −3.2 pts Valid ballots 2,177

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Josh Webb	Reform UK	1,019	46.8%	−3.2 pts	Elected
2	Fraser James MacDonald Scott	Conservative Party	614	28.2%	—
3	Angela Ayre	Labour Party	316	14.5%	—
4	Paul Charles Ward	Liberal Democrats	228	10.5%	—

Electorate 5,589 · Ballots cast 2,194 · Invalid 17 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.waltham-abbey-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Roydon and Lower Nazeing · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −2.7 pts Valid ballots 2,362

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Phil Dawkins	Reform UK	1,118	47.3%	−2.7 pts	Elected
2	Ronda Pugsley	Conservative Party	880	37.3%	—
3	Alex Drummond	Labour Party	364	15.4%	—

Electorate 5,471 · Ballots cast 2,375 · Invalid 13 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.roydon-lower-nazeing.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

North Weald Bassett · single-seat

Marginal winner 49.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −0.5 pts Valid ballots 2,444

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jay Gupta	Reform UK	1,209	49.5%	−0.5 pts	Elected
2	Andy Irvine	Conservative Party	731	29.9%	—
3	Tom Addenbrooke	Liberal Democrats	316	12.9%	—
4	Ann Huish	Labour Party	188	7.7%	—

Electorate 5,011 · Ballots cast 2,456 · Invalid 12 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.north-weald-bassett.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Waltham Abbey South and Rural · single-seat

Marginal winner 50.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +0.3 pts Valid ballots 2,064

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	James Abbott	Reform UK	1,038	50.3%	+0.3 pts	Elected
2	Timothy John Matthews	Conservative Party	607	29.4%	—
3	Paul Tippett	Liberal Democrats	218	10.6%	—
4	Sean Voitov	Labour Party	201	9.7%	—

Electorate 5,430 · Ballots cast 2,079 · Invalid 15 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.waltham-abbey-south-rural.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Rural East · single-seat

Marginal winner 50.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +0.9 pts Valid ballots 3,060

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Karen McIvor	Reform UK	1,559	50.9%	+0.9 pts	Elected
2	John Philip	Conservative Party	1,035	33.8%	—
3	Dale Walker	Labour Party	388	12.7%	—
4	Robin Tilbrook	English Democrats	78	2.5%	—

Electorate 6,349 · Ballots cast 3,096 · Invalid 36 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.rural-east.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Chigwell with Lambourne · single-seat

Marginal winner 51.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +1.1 pts Valid ballots 2,675

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Darshan Singh Sunger	Conservative Party	1,366	51.1%	+1.1 pts	Elected
2	Kieran Emery	Reform UK	1,030	38.5%	—
3	Tony Casaluci	Labour Party	279	10.4%	—

Electorate 5,736 · Ballots cast 2,705 · Invalid 30 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.chigwell-with-lambourne.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Waltham Abbey North · single-seat

Marginal winner 52.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +2.9 pts Valid ballots 2,005

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Paul Kelleher	Reform UK	1,060	52.9%	+2.9 pts	Elected
2	Andrew Crowley	Conservative Party	454	22.6%	—
3	Kevin Hind	Labour Party	329	16.4%	—
4	Amber Badyari	Independent	162	8.1%	—

Electorate 5,336 · Ballots cast 2,040 · Invalid 35 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.waltham-abbey-north.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Ongar · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.4 pts Valid ballots 2,879

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Annie May O'Neill	Reform UK	1,652	57.4%	+7.4 pts	Elected
2	Paul Stefan Keska	Conservative Party	642	22.3%	—
3	Tony Marc Sweetman	Independent	250	8.7%	—
4	Ron Huish	Labour Party	171	5.9%	—
5	Monica Phyllis Richardson	Liberal Democrats	164	5.7%	—

Electorate 5,809 · Ballots cast 2,901 · Invalid 22 · EC ward code local.epping-forest.ongar.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index