Released: Friday 8 May and updated Wednesday 13 May
Image: map illustrating results across West Sussex. Click here for details.
The results of the West Sussex County Council elections for 2026 were announced late on Friday 8 May and the parties are now in talks to decide who will form an administration.
Last week 321,657 people voted for whom they want to represent their community on the council, a turnout of just over 47%.
This is the highest turnout since 2005 when almost 65% of the electorate voted and when council elections were held at the same time as the general election.
The Horsham district had the highest turnout of the county this year:
- Horsham 49.57%
- Worthing 49.14%
- Chichester 48.94%
- Mid Sussex 47.72%
- Adur 47%
- Arun 44.75%
- Crawley 43.19%
- West Sussex 47.13%
At the last local elections in 2021, the turnout for the county was just under 37% with 244,499 votes cast:
- Horsham 39.76%
- Mid Sussex 38.40%
- Adur 37.85%
- Chichester 36.89%
- Worthing 36.59%
- Crawley 35.99%
- Arun 31.97%
- West Sussex 36.61%
This year, 362 candidates stood for election and 70 were elected as councillors to represent their local communities on the council:
- Reform UK has 23 councillors with 28% of the vote
- The Liberal Democrats have 23 councillors with 23% of the vote
- The Conservative Party has 11 councillors with 22% of the vote
- The Green Party has 7 councillors with 14% of the vote
- The Labour Party has 5 councillors with 10% of the vote
- The Local Alliance has 1 councillor with < 1% of the vote
No one political party has more than half the seats and so the outcome is no overall control of the council.
As a result of there being no clear majority, discussions are taking place between political parties about who will form an administration to run the council.
Find out how people voted in your local area of West Sussex
See the map showing results across the county.
Each county councillor elected represents their division on behalf of around 12,000 residents by contributing to policy and spending decisions affecting vital council services.
Find your local councillor and their contact details.
The first full meeting of all newly elected councillors will be on Friday 22 May.
At the meeting, appointments to key council positions are due to be formally made including chairman, leader of the council, cabinet members and committee members.
See the agenda and watch the meeting live (or the webcast at a later date).
West Sussex County Council was not the only council to hold elections here in the county.
Adur District, Crawley Borough and Worthing Borough Councils also held elections as well as some town and parish councils. The results of these elections are published on their websites.
The political composition of West Sussex County Council prior to this year’s election was:
- The Conservative Party 38 councillors
- Liberal Democrats 10 councillors
- The Labour Party 8 councillors
- Green and Independent Alliance 5 councillors
- Reform UK 4 councillors
- Independents 4 councillors
- Vacancy 1 councillor
