← The Scottish Borders (all cycles) · 5 May 2022 cohort

The Scottish Borders 2022

Local elections held 5 May 2022.

11 ward races
34 seats
20 elected below the proportional quota
58.8% 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 11 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 34 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.

PartyVotesVote %Seats won% of seatsProportional seatsProportional %Δ
Conservative Party13,99231.0%1441.2%1132.4%+3
Independent10,91224.2%720.6%926.5%-2
Scottish National Party9,47521.0%926.5%720.6%+2
Liberal Democrats4,4169.8%38.8%38.8%0
Green Party3,6278.0%12.9%38.8%-2
Labour Party2,3455.2%00.0%12.9%-1
Scottish Family Party1790.4%00.0%00.0%0
Vanguard Party740.2%00.0%00.0%0
Alba Party530.1%00.0%00.0%0
Scottish Eco-Federalist Party (SEFP)240.1%00.0%00.0%0
Total45,097100.0%34100.0%34100.0%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

The 2022 cycle was an all-out election — every seat was contested. The two opencouncildata snapshots below show the council immediately after the 2022 election (current) and on the eve of it (2021), so you can see what the result replaced.

Current (2022)
Previous (2021)

Wards in this council

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

Race results

Hawick and Denholm · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 9.4% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −15.6 pts Valid ballots 3,271

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Stuart MarshallIndependent2,26569.2%+44.2 ptsElected
2Clair RamageIndependent3169.7%−15.3 ptsElected
3Neil RichardsConservative Party3099.4%−15.6 ptsElected
4Catriona HamiltonGreen Party1474.5%
5Kay HughesLabour Party1203.7%
6Trevor AdamsIndependent1143.5%

Electorate 7,173 · Ballots cast 3,301 · Invalid 30 · EC ward code gss-S13002770 · Back to ward index

East Berwickshire · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 13.3% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −11.7 pts Valid ballots 4,238

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Carol HamiltonConservative Party1,32831.3%+6.3 ptsElected
2Aileen OrrScottish National Party89921.2%−3.8 ptsElected
3James AndersonIndependent56213.3%−11.7 ptsElected
4Raquel Lloyd-JonesIndependent46611.0%
5Lynda JonesConservative Party4099.7%
6Paul StirtonLabour Party2967.0%
7Peter GuthrieGreen Party2455.8%
8Edward Brownlie PrenticeScottish Family Party330.8%

Electorate 9,029 · Ballots cast 4,287 · Invalid 49 · EC ward code gss-S13002767 · Back to ward index

Galashiels and District · 4-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 9.0% Proportional quota 20.0% Below quota −11.0 pts Valid ballots 4,557

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Fay SinclairScottish National Party1,63735.9%+15.9 ptsElected
2Euan JardineConservative Party1,20526.4%+6.4 ptsElected
3Hannah SteelLiberal Democrats48310.6%−9.4 ptsElected
4Neil MackinnonGreen Party4129.0%−11.0 ptsElected
5Bill WhiteIndependent3156.9%
6Harry ScottIndependent2465.4%
7Duck FraterIndependent1994.4%
8Michael BanksVanguard Party360.8%
9James D W ClarkScottish Eco-Federalist Party (SEFP)240.5%

Electorate 11,639 · Ballots cast 4,600 · Invalid 43 · EC ward code gss-S13002763 · Back to ward index

Hawick and Hermitage · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 16.7% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −8.3 pts Valid ballots 3,045

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Watson McAteerIndependent1,47748.5%+23.5 ptsElected
2Jane CoxConservative Party56018.4%−6.6 ptsElected
3Annette SmartScottish National Party50916.7%−8.3 ptsElected
4Cameron KnoxIndependent1916.3%
5Robert LeachLabour Party1143.7%
6Rosemary WebsterLiberal Democrats1133.7%
7Kevin FergusonGreen Party812.7%

Electorate 7,070 · Ballots cast 3,077 · Invalid 32 · EC ward code gss-S13002771 · Back to ward index

Mid Berwickshire · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 17.1% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −7.9 pts Valid ballots 4,178

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1John GreenwellConservative Party1,21329.0%+4.0 ptsElected
2Donald MoffatScottish National Party1,07925.8%+0.8 ptsElected
3Mark RowleyConservative Party71517.1%−7.9 ptsElected
4Yvonne Huggins-HaigLiberal Democrats47911.5%
5Gail JacksonGreen Party2927.0%
6David George SmithLabour Party2546.1%
7Hamish Goldie-ScotScottish Family Party1463.5%

Electorate 8,817 · Ballots cast 4,259 · Invalid 81 · EC ward code gss-S13002766 · Back to ward index

Tweeddale East · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 18.3% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −6.7 pts Valid ballots 4,895

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Marshall Neil DouglasScottish National Party1,48530.3%+5.3 ptsElected
2Julie PironeConservative Party1,10222.5%−2.5 ptsElected
3Robin TatlerIndependent89618.3%−6.7 ptsElected
4David PyeLiberal Democrats4839.9%
5Ellie ClarkeGreen Party4699.6%
6Robert BonLabour Party4499.2%
7Calum MacEwan WattVanguard Party110.2%

Electorate 9,117 · Ballots cast 4,919 · Invalid 24 · EC ward code gss-S13002762 · Back to ward index

Tweeddale West · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 18.5% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −6.5 pts Valid ballots 4,829

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Viv ThomsonScottish National Party1,26626.2%+1.2 ptsElected
2Drummond BeggLiberal Democrats1,10022.8%−2.2 ptsElected
3Eric SmallConservative Party89318.5%−6.5 ptsElected
4Dominic AshmoleGreen Party79216.4%
5John SmithConservative Party4669.7%
6Julia ReidLabour Party3126.5%

Electorate 8,517 · Ballots cast 4,887 · Invalid 58 · EC ward code gss-S13002761 · Back to ward index

Jedburgh and District · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 19.2% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −5.8 pts Valid ballots 3,507

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Scott HamiltonConservative Party1,08931.1%+6.1 ptsElected
2Pam BrownScottish National Party80923.1%−1.9 ptsElected
3Sandy ScottConservative Party67519.2%−5.8 ptsElected
4John BathgateIndependent52915.1%
5Charles StrangGreen Party2507.1%
6Jesse RaeIndependent1022.9%
7Yvonne RidleyAlba Party531.5%

Electorate 7,212 · Ballots cast 3,560 · Invalid 53 · EC ward code gss-S13002769 · Back to ward index

Leaderdale and Melrose · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 19.7% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −5.3 pts Valid ballots 4,650

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1David ParkerIndependent1,59434.3%+9.3 ptsElected
2Jenny LinehanConservative Party1,13324.4%−0.6 ptsElected
3John PatonDayScottish National Party91819.7%−5.3 ptsElected
4Simon JohnsonLiberal Democrats58912.7%
5Michael ScottLabour Party2074.5%
6Michael NeedhamGreen Party1994.3%
7Chris StefanekVanguard Party100.2%

Electorate 9,107 · Ballots cast 4,690 · Invalid 40 · EC ward code gss-S13002765 · Back to ward index

Selkirkshire · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 21.8% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −3.2 pts Valid ballots 4,007

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Caroline CochraneIndependent1,42335.5%+10.5 ptsElected
2Leagh DouglasConservative Party1,04926.2%+1.2 ptsElected
3Elaine Thornton-NicolScottish National Party87321.8%−3.2 ptsElected
4Scott RedpathLabour Party2235.6%
5Barbra HarvieGreen Party2225.5%
6Gordon EdgarIndependent2175.4%

Electorate 8,018 · Ballots cast 4,041 · Invalid 34 · EC ward code gss-S13002764 · Back to ward index

Kelso and District · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 23.1% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −1.9 pts Valid ballots 3,920

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Euan RobsonLiberal Democrats1,16929.8%+4.8 ptsElected
2Tom WeatherstonConservative Party94224.0%−1.0 ptsElected
3Simon MountfordConservative Party90423.1%−1.9 ptsElected
4Shelagh KingGreen Party51813.2%
5Wilson GeorgeLabour Party3017.7%
6Kenryck Lloyd-JonesLabour Party691.8%
7Sunny SmithVanguard Party170.4%

Electorate 8,499 · Ballots cast 3,990 · Invalid 70 · EC ward code gss-S13002768 · Back to ward index