← South Ayrshire (all cycles) · 5 May 2022 cohort

South Ayrshire 2022

Local elections held 5 May 2022.

8 ward races
28 seats
17 elected below the proportional quota
60.7% 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 8 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 28 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
Scottish National Party14,84933.0%932.1%1035.7%-1
Conservative Party14,52032.3%1035.7%932.1%+1
Labour Party7,27616.2%517.9%517.9%0
Independent6,82015.2%414.3%414.3%0
Liberal Democrats1,1582.6%00.0%00.0%0
Alba Party2750.6%00.0%00.0%0
Scottish Family Party1080.2%00.0%00.0%0
Total45,006100.0%28100.0%28100.0%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

Ayr North · 4-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 7.0% Proportional quota 20.0% Below quota −13.0 pts Valid ballots 4,922

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Laura Brennan-WhitefieldScottish National Party1,91438.9%+18.9 ptsElected
2Ian CavanaLabour Party1,18524.1%+4.1 ptsElected
3Ian DavisConservative Party67513.7%−6.3 ptsElected
4Mark DixonScottish National Party3447.0%−13.0 ptsElected
5David PatersonConservative Party3366.8%
6Andrew RussellIndependent3096.3%
7Mason GrahamLiberal Democrats801.6%
8Denise SommervilleAlba Party791.6%

Electorate 12,973 · Ballots cast 5,087 · Invalid 165 · EC ward code gss-S13003089 · Back to ward index

Ayr West · 4-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 8.4% Proportional quota 20.0% Below quota −11.6 pts Valid ballots 8,369

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Martin DoweyConservative Party2,27127.1%+7.1 ptsElected
2Bob ShieldsIndependent1,90922.8%+2.8 ptsElected
3George WeirScottish National Party1,21714.5%−5.5 ptsElected
4John DuncanLabour Party91510.9%
5Lee LyonsConservative Party6998.4%−11.6 ptsElected
6Margaret WeirScottish National Party6147.3%
7Derek McCabeConservative Party3414.1%
8Jamie RossLiberal Democrats2953.5%
9Gordon Hawley BryceScottish Family Party1081.3%

Electorate 14,541 · Ballots cast 8,502 · Invalid 133 · EC ward code gss-S13003091 · Back to ward index

Girvan and South Carrick · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 14.1% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −10.9 pts Valid ballots 4,056

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Alec ClarkIndependent1,27731.5%+6.5 ptsElected
2Peter HendersonScottish National Party1,00824.9%−0.1 ptsElected
3Gavin ScottConservative Party57314.1%−10.9 ptsElected
4Linda KaneConservative Party56313.9%
5Aaron GilpinLabour Party3588.8%
6Todor Joseph RadicIndependent2305.7%
7Eileen SpenceAlba Party471.2%

Electorate 8,849 · Ballots cast 4,131 · Invalid 75 · EC ward code gss-S13003094 · Back to ward index

Ayr East · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 16.5% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −8.5 pts Valid ballots 4,936

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Chris CullenScottish National Party1,37727.9%+2.9 ptsElected
2Mary KilpatrickConservative Party95919.4%−5.6 ptsElected
3Brian McGinleyLabour Party81416.5%−8.5 ptsElected
4Ian DouglasScottish National Party55611.3%
5Alan LamontConservative Party52010.5%
6Chic BrodieIndependent2324.7%
7Andrew BrydenIndependent1853.7%
8David John RamsayIndependent1803.6%
9Deirdre KennedyLiberal Democrats1132.3%

Electorate 10,276 · Ballots cast 5,031 · Invalid 95 · EC ward code gss-S13003090 · Back to ward index

Maybole, North Carrick and Coylton · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 17.7% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −7.3 pts Valid ballots 4,282

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1William GrantScottish National Party1,37032.0%+7.0 ptsElected
2Iain CampbellConservative Party89520.9%−4.1 ptsElected
3Brian ConnollyIndependent75617.7%−7.3 ptsElected
4Laura McEwanConservative Party62314.5%
5Nicola SaxtonLabour Party53212.4%
6Stephen RalphLiberal Democrats1062.5%

Electorate 9,316 · Ballots cast 4,356 · Invalid 74 · EC ward code gss-S13003093 · Back to ward index

Troon · 4-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 14.5% Proportional quota 20.0% Below quota −5.5 pts Valid ballots 6,979

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Craig MackayScottish National Party1,60723.0%+3.0 ptsElected
2Philip SaxtonLabour Party1,34219.2%−0.8 ptsElected
3Bob PollockConservative Party1,13116.2%−3.8 ptsElected
4Kenneth BellConservative Party1,01514.5%−5.5 ptsElected
5Annie McIndoeScottish National Party89812.9%
6Rose HallConservative Party4596.6%
7Judith GoddenLiberal Democrats3294.7%
8Linda LunanIndependent1982.8%

Electorate 13,025 · Ballots cast 7,107 · Invalid 128 · EC ward code gss-S13003087 · Back to ward index

Kyle · 3-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 19.8% Proportional quota 25.0% Below quota −5.2 pts Valid ballots 4,820

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Julie DettbarnScottish National Party1,63533.9%+8.9 ptsElected
2Duncan Christopher TownsonLabour Party1,11023.0%−2.0 ptsElected
3Stephen FerryConservative Party95519.8%−5.2 ptsElected
4Arthur SpurlingConservative Party81416.9%
5John AitkenLiberal Democrats2354.9%
6Geoff BushAlba Party711.5%

Electorate 10,625 · Ballots cast 4,877 · Invalid 57 · EC ward code gss-S13003092 · Back to ward index

Prestwick · 4-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 15.4% Proportional quota 20.0% Below quota −4.6 pts Valid ballots 6,642

RankCandidatePartyVotesShareBelow quotaElected
1Ian CochraneScottish National Party1,69525.5%+5.5 ptsElected
2Hugh HunterIndependent1,54423.2%+3.2 ptsElected
3Martin KilbrideConservative Party1,13217.0%−3.0 ptsElected
4Cameron RamsayLabour Party1,02015.4%−4.6 ptsElected
5Norrie SmithScottish National Party6149.2%
6Derek StillieConservative Party4887.3%
7John CaddisAlba Party781.2%
8Owen Daniel NorthConservative Party711.1%

Electorate 12,507 · Ballots cast 6,749 · Invalid 107 · EC ward code gss-S13003088 · Back to ward index