← North Hertfordshire (all cycles) · 4 May 2017 cohort
North Hertfordshire 2017
Local elections held 4 May 2017.
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 2 wards 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Conservative Party | 1,561 | 46.0% | 2 | 100.0% | 1 | 50.0% | +1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 864 | 25.4% | 0 | 0.0% | 1 | 50.0% | -1 |
| Labour Party | 415 | 12.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Independent | 277 | 8.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Green Party | 211 | 6.2% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 68 | 2.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 | 0.0% | 0 |
| Total | 3,396 | 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 2017 election (current) and immediately before it (2016). Only ~⅓ of seats were contested in 2017 — 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.
- Hitchin Priory · 1 seat · won at 41.7% · −8.3 pts below quota
- Royston Heath · 1 seat · won at 50.4% · above quota
Race results
Hitchin Priory · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 41.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. −8.3 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 1,721
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Raymond Shakespeare-Smith | Conservative Party | 717 | 41.7% | −8.3 pts | Elected |
| 2 | John Hefford | Liberal Democrats | 394 | 22.9% | — | |
| 3 | Jacqueline McDonald | Independent | 277 | 16.1% | — | |
| 4 | Dave Winstanley | Labour Party | 219 | 12.7% | — | |
| 5 | Des Stephens | Green Party | 114 | 6.6% | — |
Royston Heath · single-seat
Marginal winner Winning candidate's share of valid ballots. 50.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota Marginal winner's share minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = below; positive = above. +0.4 pts Valid ballots (est.) Estimated voters: total votes ÷ 1 seats. Source data does not publish a ballot count for this cycle. 1,675
| Rank | Candidate | Party | Votes | Share of votes Candidate votes ÷ total votes cast in this ward. Matches the share the council publishes. | Below quota Each elected candidate's share of valid ballots minus the proportional quota for this race. Negative = won the seat below the quota; positive = cleared it. | Elected |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sarah Dingley | Conservative Party | 844 | 50.4% | +0.4 pts | Elected |
| 2 | Carol Stanier | Liberal Democrats | 470 | 28.1% | — | |
| 3 | Vaughan West | Labour Party | 196 | 11.7% | — | |
| 4 | Katherine Shann | Green Party | 97 | 5.8% | — | |
| 5 | Christopher Arquati | UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 68 | 4.1% | — |