← Lewes (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort
Lewes 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 2 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Liberal Democrats | 2,164 | 53.5% | 2 | 100.0% | 2 | 100.0% | 0 |
| Reform UK | 1,024 | 25.3% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Green Party | 493 | 12.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Conservative Party | 259 | 6.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Labour Party | 102 | 2.5% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 4,042 | 100.0% | 2 | 100.0% | 2 | 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.
- Newhaven South · 2 seats · won at 26.2% · −7.1 pts below quota
Race results
Newhaven South · 2-seat (bloc vote)
Marginal winner 26.2% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota −7.1 pts Valid ballots 4,042
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share | Below quota | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Harrison | Liberal Democrats | 1,105 | 27.3% | −6.0 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Jo Pettitt | Liberal Democrats | 1,059 | 26.2% | −7.1 pts | Elected |
| 3 | Archie Barry Edward Wilson | Reform UK | 550 | 13.6% | — | |
| 4 | Bill Payne | Reform UK | 474 | 11.7% | — | |
| 5 | Scott Burrell | Green Party | 261 | 6.5% | — | |
| 6 | Tai Ray-Jones | Green Party | 232 | 5.7% | — | |
| 7 | Catherine Boorman | Conservative Party | 151 | 3.7% | — | |
| 8 | Richard Turner | Conservative Party | 108 | 2.7% | — | |
| 9 | Joe Moughrabi | Labour Party | 102 | 2.5% | — |