← St Albans (all cycles) · 7 May 2026 cohort

St Albans 2026

Local elections held 7 May 2026.

20 ward races

22 seats

12 elected below the proportional quota

54.5% 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 20 wards in this cycle, parties received the vote totals below. The proportional column shows what each party would have won if the 22 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	25,811	45.2%	19	86.4%	11	50.0%	+8
Conservative Party	10,501	18.4%	2	9.1%	4	18.2%	-2
Reform UK	9,195	16.1%	0	0.0%	3	13.6%	-3
Green Party	7,469	13.1%	0	0.0%	3	13.6%	-3
Labour Party	2,793	4.9%	0	0.0%	1	4.5%	-1
Independent	1,374	2.4%	1	4.5%	0	0.0%	+1
Communist Party of Britain	15	0.0%	0	0.0%	0	0.0%	0
Total	57,158	100.0%	22	100.0%	22	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.

Vote share

Actual seats

Proportional seats

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.

Current (2026)

Previous (2025)

Wards in this council

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

London Colney · 1 seat · won at 34.9% · −15.1 pts below quota
Redbourn · 1 seat · won at 39.7% · −10.3 pts below quota
Harpenden West · 1 seat · won at 40.4% · −9.6 pts below quota
Harpenden North and Rural · 1 seat · won at 40.7% · −9.3 pts below quota
Batchwood · 1 seat · won at 41.9% · −8.1 pts below quota
Park Street · 1 seat · won at 42.2% · −7.8 pts below quota
Colney Heath · 1 seat · won at 42.5% · −7.5 pts below quota
Harpenden South · 1 seat · won at 42.7% · −7.3 pts below quota
Harpenden East · 1 seat · won at 44.9% · −5.1 pts below quota
Clarence · 1 seat · won at 47.2% · −2.8 pts below quota
Marshalswick East and Jersey Farm · 1 seat · won at 49.2% · −0.8 pts below quota
St Peters · 1 seat · won at 49.4% · −0.6 pts below quota
Sopwell · 1 seat · won at 53.1% · above quota
Cunningham · 1 seat · won at 54.1% · above quota
Bernards Heath · 1 seat · won at 54.1% · above quota
Sandridge and Wheathampstead · 2 seats · won at 38.0% · above quota
St Stephen · 2 seats · won at 39.1% · above quota
Verulam · 1 seat · won at 57.3% · above quota
Marshalswick West · 1 seat · won at 57.5% · above quota
Hill End · 1 seat · won at 62.5% · above quota

Race results

London Colney · single-seat

Marginal winner 34.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −15.1 pts Valid ballots 2,496

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Tony Lillico	Liberal Democrats	872	34.9%	−15.1 pts	Elected
2	Eleanor Frances Jackson	Reform UK	632	25.3%	—
3	David Eaton	Labour Party	563	22.6%	—
4	Sarah Lister	Conservative Party	226	9.1%	—
5	Aimee Crompton-Smith	Green Party	203	8.1%	—

Electorate 5,955 · EC ward code local.st-albans.london-colney.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Redbourn · single-seat

Marginal winner 39.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −10.3 pts Valid ballots 1,942

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	David Mitchell	Independent	771	39.7%	−10.3 pts	Elected
2	Joy Katherine Swan	Reform UK	399	20.5%	—
3	Naina Bloom	Liberal Democrats	316	16.3%	—
4	Amanda Nash	Conservative Party	268	13.8%	—
5	Matthew Thomas	Green Party	124	6.4%	—
6	Andy Hayes	Labour Party	64	3.3%	—

Electorate 4,325 · EC ward code local.st-albans.redbourn.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Harpenden West · single-seat

Marginal winner 40.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.6 pts Valid ballots 3,193

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Aaron Jacob	Conservative Party	1,290	40.4%	−9.6 pts	Elected
2	Ric Belfield	Liberal Democrats	1,270	39.8%	—
3	Paul Stuart Brayley	Reform UK	305	9.6%	—
4	Mario May	Green Party	220	6.9%	—
5	David Crew	Labour Party	108	3.4%	—

Electorate 6,279 · EC ward code local.st-albans.harpenden-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Harpenden North and Rural · single-seat

Marginal winner 40.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −9.3 pts Valid ballots 2,674

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Kevin Timmons	Liberal Democrats	1,088	40.7%	−9.3 pts	Elected
2	Sam Spiri	Conservative Party	812	30.4%	—
3	Philip Martin Wells	Reform UK	428	16.0%	—
4	Joel Crichton	Green Party	250	9.3%	—
5	Ben Dearman	Labour Party	96	3.6%	—

Electorate 6,048 · EC ward code local.st-albans.harpenden-north-rural.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Batchwood · single-seat

Marginal winner 41.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −8.1 pts Valid ballots 2,605

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Chris Lewis	Liberal Democrats	1,091	41.9%	−8.1 pts	Elected
2	Damian Gaskin	Independent	603	23.1%	—
3	Tatiana Metcalf-Riener	Green Party	344	13.2%	—
4	Kathleen Robinson	Reform UK	234	9.0%	—
5	Stella Nash	Conservative Party	181	6.9%	—
6	Chris Cloke	Labour Party	152	5.8%	—

Electorate 5,791 · EC ward code local.st-albans.batchwood.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Park Street · single-seat

Marginal winner 42.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −7.8 pts Valid ballots 2,810

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Rav Dighe	Liberal Democrats	1,185	42.2%	−7.8 pts	Elected
2	Roger John Curtis Gray	Reform UK	760	27.0%	—
3	Richard Curthoys	Conservative Party	513	18.3%	—
4	Mark Stephen Charles Park-Crowne	Green Party	261	9.3%	—
5	Laurence Chester	Labour Party	91	3.2%	—

Electorate 6,626 · EC ward code local.st-albans.park-street.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Colney Heath · single-seat

Marginal winner 42.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −7.5 pts Valid ballots 971

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Chris Brazier	Liberal Democrats	413	42.5%	−7.5 pts	Elected
2	Frances Leonard	Conservative Party	225	23.2%	—
3	Mark Geoffrey Woolhouse	Reform UK	223	23.0%	—
4	Rebecca Watters	Green Party	80	8.2%	—
5	Iain Grant	Labour Party	30	3.1%	—

Electorate 2,198 · EC ward code local.st-albans.colney-heath.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Harpenden South · single-seat

Marginal winner 42.7% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −7.3 pts Valid ballots 2,775

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	David Heritage	Conservative Party	1,185	42.7%	−7.3 pts	Elected
2	Nikolaus Rath	Liberal Democrats	898	32.4%	—
3	Matthew David Swan	Reform UK	388	14.0%	—
4	Tanja Brueckmann-Rath	Green Party	195	7.0%	—
5	Guy Thomas	Labour Party	109	3.9%	—

Electorate 5,633 · EC ward code local.st-albans.harpenden-south.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Harpenden East · single-seat

Marginal winner 44.9% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −5.1 pts Valid ballots 2,467

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Pip Liver	Liberal Democrats	1,107	44.9%	−5.1 pts	Elected
2	Geoffrey Newman	Conservative Party	675	27.4%	—
3	Thomas Oliver Cooney	Reform UK	327	13.3%	—
4	Lesley Baker	Green Party	248	10.1%	—
5	Neil Mulcock	Labour Party	110	4.5%	—

Electorate 5,782 · EC ward code local.st-albans.harpenden-east.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Clarence · single-seat

Marginal winner 47.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −2.8 pts Valid ballots 3,298

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Josie Madoc	Liberal Democrats	1,557	47.2%	−2.8 pts	Elected
2	Livvy Gibbs	Green Party	1,269	38.5%	—
3	Stephen Bird	Reform UK	224	6.8%	—
4	June Reid	Conservative Party	125	3.8%	—
5	Martin McGrath	Labour Party	123	3.7%	—

Electorate 6,237 · EC ward code local.st-albans.clarence.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Marshalswick East and Jersey Farm · single-seat

Marginal winner 49.2% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −0.8 pts Valid ballots 2,823

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Lorraine Helen Kirby	Liberal Democrats	1,389	49.2%	−0.8 pts	Elected
2	Graham Leonard	Conservative Party	610	21.6%	—
3	Larraine Charters	Reform UK	418	14.8%	—
4	Joe Flynn	Green Party	319	11.3%	—
5	Stephen Poxon	Labour Party	87	3.1%	—

Electorate 6,038 · EC ward code local.st-albans.marshalswick-east-jersey-farm.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

St Peters · single-seat

Marginal winner 49.4% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota −0.6 pts Valid ballots 2,729

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sean William Hughes	Liberal Democrats	1,347	49.4%	−0.6 pts	Elected
2	Sally Leonard	Green Party	868	31.8%	—
3	Jim Brodie	Reform UK	240	8.8%	—
4	Claudio Duran	Conservative Party	172	6.3%	—
5	David Byatt	Labour Party	102	3.7%	—

Electorate 6,261 · EC ward code local.st-albans.st-peters.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Sopwell · single-seat

Marginal winner 53.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +3.1 pts Valid ballots 2,310

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Sarwar Shamsher	Liberal Democrats	1,226	53.1%	+3.1 pts	Elected
2	Jane Dawson-Davis	Reform UK	367	15.9%	—
3	Len Pattenden	Green Party	344	14.9%	—
4	Janet Smith	Labour Party	187	8.1%	—
5	Heather Rench	Conservative Party	171	7.4%	—
6	Mark Antony Ewington	Communist Party of Britain	15	0.6%	—

Electorate 5,572 · EC ward code local.st-albans.sopwell.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Cunningham · single-seat

Marginal winner 54.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +4.1 pts Valid ballots 2,334

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Robert Francis Donald	Liberal Democrats	1,262	54.1%	+4.1 pts	Elected
2	James Ian Humphrey	Reform UK	351	15.0%	—
3	Isabelle Habib	Green Party	328	14.1%	—
4	Rachael Drewitt	Conservative Party	251	10.8%	—
5	John Paton	Labour Party	142	6.1%	—

Electorate 5,780 · EC ward code local.st-albans.cunningham.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Bernards Heath · single-seat

Marginal winner 54.1% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +4.1 pts Valid ballots 2,674

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Helen Rosemary Campbell	Liberal Democrats	1,447	54.1%	+4.1 pts	Elected
2	Claire Gilbert	Green Party	514	19.2%	—
3	Ambrose Killen	Conservative Party	332	12.4%	—
4	William Heugh Smith	Reform UK	254	9.5%	—
5	Jane Cloke	Labour Party	127	4.7%	—

Electorate 5,945 · EC ward code local.st-albans.bernards-heath.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Sandridge and Wheathampstead · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 38.0% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota +4.7 pts Valid ballots 2,789.5

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Ann Ellen Mary Chance-Read	Liberal Democrats	1,278	45.8%	+12.5 pts	Elected
2	Simon Richard Johns	Liberal Democrats	1,061	38.0%	+4.7 pts	Elected
3	Gill Clark	Conservative Party	666	23.9%	—
4	Andrew Waterfield	Conservative Party	665	23.8%	—
5	Nigel Kenneth Hawes	Reform UK	547	19.6%	—
6	Frederick Alan Philpott	Reform UK	502	18.0%	—
7	Danielle Durant-Taylor	Green Party	352	12.6%	—
8	Oliver Hitch	Green Party	299	10.7%	—
9	Denise Brown	Labour Party	132	4.7%	—
10	Symon Vegro	Labour Party	77	2.8%	—

Electorate 6,194 · EC ward code local.st-albans.sandridge-wheathampstead.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

St Stephen · 2-seat (bloc vote)

Marginal winner 39.1% Proportional quota 33.3% Below quota +5.7 pts Valid ballots 3,008.5

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Ajanta Hilton	Liberal Democrats	1,414	47.0%	+13.7 pts	Elected
2	Mohammed Rafi	Liberal Democrats	1,175	39.1%	+5.7 pts	Elected
3	Richard Brooks	Reform UK	892	29.6%	—
4	Stewart Irus Jason Vassie	Reform UK	781	26.0%	—
5	Martyn Redstone	Conservative Party	671	22.3%	—
6	Simin Taheri	Conservative Party	502	16.7%	—
7	Gabriel Roberts	Green Party	218	7.2%	—
8	Ben Tiplady	Green Party	175	5.8%	—
9	Janet Blackwell	Labour Party	108	3.6%	—
10	Jane Hobday	Labour Party	81	2.7%	—

Electorate 6,784 · EC ward code local.st-albans.st-stephen.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Verulam · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.3% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.3 pts Valid ballots 2,931

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Dawn Gamble	Liberal Democrats	1,679	57.3%	+7.3 pts	Elected
2	Susan Devi	Conservative Party	445	15.2%	—
3	Alan Hugh Dodds	Reform UK	382	13.0%	—
4	Kevin Tiplady	Green Party	300	10.2%	—
5	Geoff Meade	Labour Party	125	4.3%	—

Electorate 5,840 · EC ward code local.st-albans.verulam.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Marshalswick West · single-seat

Marginal winner 57.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +7.5 pts Valid ballots 1,948

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Michael Mortimer Jones	Liberal Democrats	1,121	57.5%	+7.5 pts	Elected
2	Don Deepthi	Conservative Party	282	14.5%	—
3	Thomas Peter Russell	Reform UK	248	12.7%	—
4	Jason Flynn	Green Party	215	11.0%	—
5	Sarah Heiser	Labour Party	82	4.2%	—

Electorate 3,938 · EC ward code local.st-albans.marshalswick-west.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index

Hill End · single-seat

Marginal winner 62.5% Proportional quota 50.0% Below quota +12.5 pts Valid ballots 2,582

Rank	Candidate	Party	Votes	Share	Below quota	Elected
1	Jamie Day	Liberal Democrats	1,615	62.5%	+12.5 pts	Elected
2	Marianne Jordan	Green Party	343	13.3%	—
3	Caspar Hugo Issac Thomas	Reform UK	293	11.3%	—
4	Sudha Bharadia	Conservative Party	234	9.1%	—
5	Steve Clark	Labour Party	97	3.8%	—

Electorate 5,655 · EC ward code local.st-albans.hill-end.2026-05-07 · Back to ward index