← Hertsmere (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort
Hertsmere 2026
Local elections held 7 May 2026.
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 1 ward in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 1 seat 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative Party | 700 | 33.4% | 1 | 100.0% | 1 | 100.0% | 0 |
| Reform UK | 607 | 29.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Labour Party | 491 | 23.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Green Party | 205 | 9.8% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Liberal Democrats | 93 | 4.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 2,096 | 100.0% | 1 | 100.0% | 1 | 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.
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.
Wards in this council
Sorted with the largest gap below the quota first. Click any ward to jump to its full result.
- Bentley Heath and the Royds · 1 seat · won at 33.4% · −16.6 pts below quota
Race results
Bentley Heath and the Royds · single-seat
Marginal winner 33.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −16.6 pts Valid ballots 2,096
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Below quota | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Martin Graham | Conservative Party | 700 | 33.4% | −16.6 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Simon Edward Rhodes | Reform UK | 607 | 29.0% | — | |
| 3 | Lisa Worrell | Labour Party | 491 | 23.4% | — | |
| 4 | John Humphries | Green Party | 205 | 9.8% | — | |
| 5 | Theresa Noreen Smith | Liberal Democrats | 93 | 4.4% | — |