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About the Local Elections Handbook 2022

Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher, directors of the Elections Centre, have published their Local Elections Handbook 2022 in collaboration with the Commons Library. Along with the handbook containing figures and analysis of the May 2022 local elections results, the authors have also released a comprehensive dataset.

In the dataset you will find and be able to analyse voting results across all English electoral districts and wards, including ward voting turnout, number of vacancies per ward, candidate party affiliation, votes collected per candidate, final outcomes for wards and candidates, and more.

The dataset also presents results for parties and their candidates and can be used to further examine party success in individual counties and districts. The data was sourced from local authority websites and through correspondence with local authorities.

This work follows on from the publication of the Local Elections Handbook and dataset for the 2021 local elections.

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About the May 2022 local elections

Elections were held in 200 councils across Great Britain on 5 May 2022. England held elections in 146 councils, while all 32 councils in Scotland and 22 Welsh councils were up for election.

Across England, Wales and Scotland, elections were held for 6,863 seats. After the elections there were 15 seats across Great Britain left vacant for various reasons. There were also elections for six mayors and the second election of a metro-mayor in South Yorkshire. Bristol held a referendum on whether to change the current system of a directly elected mayor to a committee system. Read the Commons Library Briefing on the 2022 local elections.

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