Southampton local election results 2019

All the results from our local elections on Thursday 2 May 2019

03/05/2019

The results of tonight’s count for Southampton’s local elections were as follows:

Labour - 29 seats (+3)
Conservatives - 18 seats (-1)
Independent - 1 seats (-2)

The Labour Party retain overall control.

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On Thursday 2 May voters in Southampton City will go to the polls to elect their local councillors.

Make sure you follow us on Facebook and Twitter as we post the results live as they come in on Thursday evening into the early hours of Friday morning.

We’ll also be posting the full results here shortly after they happen.

Take a look at The Statement of Persons Nominated for a list of candidates standing for election in all wards.

Mark Heath, the Returning Officer responsible for running elections in Southampton, is encouraging residents to take part in this year's elections: “Make sure you take this chance to have your say on the local issues that matter. There will be 95 polling stations open across the city from 7am to 10pm. You don’t need to take your polling card or anything else with you to vote."

Find your polling station

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All you need to know about our local elections

Southampton City Council is made up of 48 members or councillors who make decisions on matters affecting the city. The city is divided into 16 wards and each ward is represented by three councillors who are appointed for a term of four years.

This year one third of the current seats will be up for election in each of the 16 wards across the city. Every year for three consecutive years, one councillor in each ward will have completed their term of office and their seat is put up for election. The appointed councillor will then be in post for a further four years. In the fourth year there is no election. This is known as electing by thirds.

The list of candidates running in this year's election will be available from the Southampton City Council website once nominations have closed.

What does Southampton City Council do?

Southampton City Council is responsible for a large number of services in the city. This includes but is not limited to:

Maintaining 1,140 hectares of parks and open spaces and 416 miles of roads and pavements
Providing over 16,000 council houses
Providing long term support for over 3,000 adults
Recycling, reusing and composting 27,000 tonnes of waste each year
Dealing with over 1,000 planning applications
Offering services to 2,500 vulnerable children and supporting and advising 75 schools

Here’s a rundown of things you need to know before polling day

Make sure you vote in time

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 2 May. You had to have applied to register to vote by midnight on Friday 12 April in order to be able to vote on 2 May
Your poll card will have been sent to the address where you are registered. It will say where your polling station is. You can only vote at the polling station that is stated on your own poll card
Plan what time you will be able to cast your vote at the polling station, leaving plenty of time before the 10pm deadline
If you are in a queue at your polling station at 10pm you will still be able to vote
If you arrive at the polling station after 10pm then the poll will be closed and you will have missed your chance to take part

Postal voting

If you have a postal vote, make sure it is returned by 10pm on Thursday 2 May
If you have not had time to post it before polling day, then you can take it to any polling station in the electoral area on polling day and hand it in. Postal votes that arrive after 10pm on Thursday 2 May will not be counted

Proxy voting

If you’ve appointed a proxy, then they need to make sure they are able to vote at the correct polling station on your behalf
If you are suddenly unable to vote in person, because you have a medical emergency which prevents you from attending on polling day, or your occupation, service or employment means that you cannot go to the polling station in person, and you only become aware of that fact after the deadline, then you may be entitled to appoint an emergency proxy
You can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day. You should contact your local electoral registration office directly to ask about this

What you need to take with you to vote in a polling station

Just yourself!
You can take your poll card with you to show the polling station staff when you arrive. They will still ask for you to confirm your name and address. If you don’t have it with you, just tell the polling station staff your name and your address and they can check whether you’re on the electoral register
If you need to check where your polling station is, you can find it using your postcode

Social media

Social media is a great way to let your friends and family know you have voted and to encourage them to do the same. So use Twitter, Facebook and any other social media accounts you have to get the message out there
Remember! Pictures of you before you go into or after you leave the polling station are great to use on social media posts but don’t take a picture of yourself inside the polling station as if you post this it could be a breach of the law

How to fill out your ballot paper

The staff at the polling station will give you a ballot paper listing the candidates you can vote for
Staff are on hand at the polling station to provide advice on the voting process
If you are disabled, you can ask the Presiding Officer for help and they can mark the ballot paper for you. You can also ask someone else to help you (e.g. a support worker, as long as they are either a relative or an eligible elector)
If you have a visual impairment, you can ask to see a large print ballot paper or you can ask for a special voting device that allows you to vote on your own in secret
Take your ballot paper into a polling booth so that no one can see how you vote. Read the ballot paper carefully, it will tell you how to cast your vote. Do not write anything else on the paper or your vote may not be counted
Mark your ballot paper according to the instructions. A pencil will be provided for you to do this, but you may use your own pen if you prefer
If you make a mistake on your ballot paper, don’t worry, so long as you haven’t already put it in the ballot box just let the polling station staff know and they can issue you with a replacement ballot paper
Fold your completed ballot paper in half and pop it in the ballot box - and that’s it done

More information is on www.aboutmyvote.co.uk or call Southampton City Council Electoral Services team on 023 8083 2245.