The 2026 West Sussex County election took place on 7 May 2026 to elect members to West Sussex County Council in West Sussex, England. All 70 seats were elected. This was on the same day as other local elections.

Prior to the election, the council was under Conservative majority control. The election saw the council go under no overall control. Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats were the joint largest parties, each winning 23 seats. A coalition of the Liberal Democrats, Labour, Green Party and Local Alliance formed to run the council, led by Liberal Democrat councillor Jay Mercer. He was formally appointed as the new leader of the council at the subsequent annual council meeting on 22 May 2026.

Background At the 2021 election, the Conservatives won an outright majority of seats. The election was originally scheduled for May 2025 but was delayed as a result of the Labour government's scheme of local government reorganisation, which will abolish the two-tier system of local government currently present in Sussex.

The County Council election was then scheduled for the 7th May 2026, but was then further delayed until 2027 by the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Steve Reed in January 2026. This followed a decision in December 2025 to delay the inaugural Sussex Mayoral Election, which was postponed until 2028 to give local government more time to reorganise.

After receiving legal advice stating that a second delay to the elections was unlawful, the Secretary of State reinstated the elections for May 2026.

The elections mark the first time that Reform UK has stood a full slate of candidates with the Liberal Democrats, Labour Party and Green Party all standing their highest number of candidates to date. The Conservative Party is also standing a full slate of candidates.

The election is likely to be the last election to West Sussex County Council, with the authority set to be abolished in 2028 following the elections to new Sussex unitary authorities in 2027.

Council composition After 2021 election Before 2026 election Party Seats Party Seats 48 40 10 10 9 8 1 2 0 4 1 1 1 4 VacantN/A Vacant1 Election result

Results by division

Adur

District summary

+Adur district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 2 2 6,572 28.7 N/A 2 2 5,347 23.3 –10.0 1 1 4,272 18.6 +7.4 0 5 3,311 14.4 –32.5 0 2,071 9.0 N/A 0 1,343 5.9 –2.4Total522,98546.9Registered electors49,003–

Division results

Sompting and North Lancing is the division with the largest number of candidates standing.

Arun

District summary

+Arun district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 9 9 20,693 35.6 N/A 3 8 14,696 25.3 –25.1 1 1 7,502 12.9 +3.9 0 2 9,163 15.8 –4.4 0 4,217 7.3 –4.1 0 1,792 3.1 –5.2 0 63 0.1 N/ATotal1358,24544.7Registered electors130,184–

Division results

Gary Markwell was the Conservative County Councillor for Arundel and Courtwick before defecting to Reform UK in September 2024.

* Felpham is the only division in West Sussex where the Liberal Democrats and Green Party are not standing a candidate.

* Trevor William Bence was the Conservative County Councillor for Fontwell before defecting to Reform UK in October 2024

Chichester

District summary

+Chichester district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 7 6 18,705 39.4 +18.2 2 3 11,351 23.9 –24.9 1 1,573 3.3 –1.7 0 11,241 23.7 +23.5 0 2 3,601 7.6 –5.5 0 1,002 2.1 –6.3 0 19 <0.1 N/A 0 1 N/A N/A –3.2Total1047,58848.9Registered electors97,232–

Division results

Selsey is one of only two divisions in West Sussex where the Labour Party is not standing a candidate

Crawley

Borough summary

+Crawley borough summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 8 8 11,948 33.5 +33.2 1 3 8,439 23.6 –14.9 0 5 7,827 21.9 –25.4 0 5,202 14.6 +7.8 0 2,132 6.0 ±0.0 0 144 0.4 –0.7Total935,88442.5Registered electors84,338–

Division results

Horsham

District summary

+Horsham district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 8 4 18,836 33.3 +5.7 3 3 13,155 23.2 –23.7 1 1 8,277 14.6 +4.0 0 2 14,528 25.7 N/A 0 1,771 3.1 –11.0 0 57 0.1 –0.4Total1256,75049.6Registered electors114,339–

Division results

Mid Sussex

District summary

+Mid Sussex district summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 8 5 19,035 32.8 +4.0 2 2 14,746 25.4 +24.5 2 6 13,698 23.6 –19.0 0 6,703 11.5 +0.6 0 1 1,939 3.3 –2.3 0 1,836 3.2 –7.5 0 58 0.1 N/A 0 52 0.1 –0.2Total1258,18347.7Registered electors121,930–

Division results

* Worth Forest is one of only two divisions in West Sussex where the Labour Party is not standing a candidate.

Worthing

Borough summary

+Worthing borough summaryPartySeats+/-Votes%+/- 4 4 9,868 23.7 +13.6 2 2 11,188 26.8 N/A 2 3 9,005 21.6 –12.2 1 3 7,912 19.0 –25.9 0 3,751 9.0 –1.5Total941,96549.1Registered electors85,398–

Division results

See also

West Sussex County Council elections

Notes

References