2023_Northern_Ireland_local_elections

2023 Northern Ireland local elections

2023 Northern Ireland local elections

Local elections


Local elections were held in Northern Ireland on 18 May 2023.[2] The elections were delayed by two weeks to avoid overlapping with the coronation of King Charles III.[3] Following the elections, Sinn Féin became the largest party in local government for the first time.[4] It also marked the first time that nationalist parties had garnered a greater share of the vote than unionist parties, however, despite this, there were more unionist councillors elected than nationalists.[5]

Quick Facts All 11 districts, 462 council seats, Turnout ...

Electoral system

Northern Ireland uses the single transferable vote (STV) electoral system to elect members of local councils and members of the Northern Ireland Assembly. Voters rank candidates in order of preference by marking 1, 2, 3, etc. to the names of candidates on a ballot paper and can rank as many or as few candidates as they like or just vote for one candidate.[6]

These were the second Northern Irish elections and the first local election at which people were able to register to vote online.[7]

Background

In previous local elections, a unionist party had always won the most seats. In the 2019 Northern Ireland local elections, the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) had come first.

At the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election, Sinn Féin became the biggest political party in the Assembly for the first time. It was also the first time that the DUP didn't assume the position of First Minister-designate since 2007. Due to the terms outlined in the Good Friday Agreement, the largest nationalist party and the largest unionist party must be in government together. The Executive, Northern Ireland's government, is not currently sitting as the DUP has refused to enter government due to the Northern Ireland Protocol, an agreement between the European Union (EU) and the United Kingdom (UK) that governs the unique customs and immigration issues at the border between Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. This move has proved controversial, with the Vice President of Sinn Féin and First Minister-designate, Michelle O'Neill saying that it's "totally unacceptable" for the DUP to refuse to enter the Executive amid a crisis. The Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP) has accused the DUP of treating voters with contempt and "making our electoral process look like a bad joke"[8] and Naomi Long, leader of the Alliance Party, said DUP Assembly Members should not be allowed to claim their salary while they prevented the Assembly from functioning.[9]

Number of candidates

The full list of candidates was revealed on 18 May 2023.[10]

More information Council, SF ...

Opinion polling

More information Date(s) conducted, Pollster ...

In the table above, U signifies unionist, N nationalist and O other.

Results

The counting of votes began on 19 May 2023 and finished on 21 May 2023.[11][12] Preliminary results showed Sinn Féin overtaking the DUP as the largest party in local government.[13] In one DEA, Waterside in Derry and Strabane, the result was incorrectly declared prematurely and the counting of votes was not completed; the counting of votes there resumed on 9 August 2023.[14][15]

As is common in Northern Ireland under the single transferable vote electoral system, ten of the eleven councils were under no overall control. The exception was Fermanagh and Omagh District Council where Sinn Féin won 21 seats to take a majority of two, becoming the only single party with control of a district council.

Results were published by BBC News.[16]

Results by council

More information Council, SF (N) ...


The 11 council areas across Northern Ireland.

Largest party by council

More information Map key, Council ...
  • *Absolute Majority

Results by party

More information Party, Councillors ...

Councils

Antrim and Newtownabbey

More information Airport, Party ...
More information Antrim, Party ...
More information Ballyclare, Party ...
More information Dunsilly, Party ...
More information Glengormley Urban, Party ...
More information Macedon, Party ...
More information Three Mile Water, Party ...

Ards and North Down

More information Ards Peninsula, Party ...
More information Bangor Central, Party ...
More information Bangor East and Donaghadee, Party ...
More information Bangor West, Party ...
More information Comber, Party ...
More information Holywood and Clandeboye, Party ...
More information Newtownards, Party ...

Armagh, Banbridge and Craigavon

More information Armagh, Party ...
More information Banbridge, Party ...
More information Craigavon, Party ...
More information Cusher, Party ...
More information Lagan River, Party ...
More information Lurgan, Party ...
More information Portadown, Party ...

Belfast

More information Balmoral, Party ...
More information Black Mountain, Party ...
More information Botanic, Party ...
More information Castle, Party ...
More information Collin, Party ...
More information Court, Party ...
More information Lisnasharragh, Party ...
More information Oldpark, Party ...
More information Ormiston, Party ...
More information Titanic, Party ...

Causeway Coast and Glens

More information Ballymoney, Party ...
More information Bann, Party ...
More information Benbradagh, Party ...
More information Causeway, Party ...
More information Coleraine, Party ...
More information Limavady, Party ...
More information The Glens, Party ...

Derry and Strabane

More information Ballyarnett, Party ...
More information Derg, Party ...
More information Faughan, Party ...
More information Foyleside, Party ...
More information Sperrin, Party ...
More information The Moor, Party ...
More information Waterside, Party ...

Fermanagh and Omagh

More information Enniskillen, Party ...
More information Erne East, Party ...
More information Erne North, Party ...
More information Erne West, Party ...
More information Mid Tyrone, Party ...
More information Omagh, Party ...
More information West Tyrone, Party ...

Lisburn and Castlereagh

More information Castlereagh East, Party ...
More information Castlereagh South, Party ...
More information Downshire East, Party ...
More information Downshire West, Party ...
More information Killultagh, Party ...
More information Lisburn North, Party ...
More information Lisburn South, Party ...

Mid and East Antrim

More information Ballymena, Party ...
More information Bannside, Party ...
More information Braid, Party ...
More information Carrick Castle, Party ...
More information Coast Road, Party ...
More information Knockagh, Party ...
More information Larne Lough, Party ...

Mid Ulster

More information Carntogher, Party ...
More information Clogher Valley, Party ...
More information Cookstown, Party ...
More information Dungannon, Party ...
More information Magherafelt, Party ...
More information Moyola, Party ...
More information Torrent, Party ...

Newry, Mourne and Down

More information Crotlieve, Party ...
More information Downpatrick, Party ...
More information Newry, Party ...
More information Rowallane, Party ...
More information Slieve Croob, Party ...
More information Slieve Gullion, Party ...
More information The Mournes, Party ...

Aftermath

According to journalist Jonathan McCambridge, Sinn Féin's victory was mainly helped by appealing to voters regarding the DUP's reluctance to get Stormont back into a functioning state, although the DUP's vote share itself was largely unchanged.[28]

An editorial in the Orange Standard, the official newspaper of the loyalist Orange Order, said the results of the election, and low voter turnout in several unionist areas, had presented serious challenges for the DUP, the UUP and other unionist parties. "The need to significantly reduce apathy amongst the unionist voter base was one of the issues that came to the fore. In some areas with a unionist majority the turnout of eligible voters was as low as 40%," it said. "A significant piece of work must be carried out to enhance unionist engagement with the political process – and in particular when it comes to elections. As a unionist community we must stand up and be counted when it really matters."[29]

Notes

  1. The leader of Sinn Féin is Mary Lou McDonald, who sits as a TD in the Irish Dáil Éireann for Dublin Central. O'Neill is the leader of the party in Northern Ireland.
  2. People Before Profit has a collective leadership but for the purposes of registration to the UK Electoral Commission Eamonn McCann is registered as the party's leader in Northern Ireland.[1]
  1. Reduced to 12 due to defections.
  2. Reduced to 14 due to defections.
  3. Increased to 16 due to defections
  4. Reduced to 13 due to defections.

References

  1. "Registration Summary". The Electoral Commission. Archived from the original on 4 June 2016. Retrieved 28 October 2017.
  2. "Local government elections in Northern Ireland". www.electoralcommission.org.uk. Retrieved 19 May 2022.
  3. "NI council election moved to avoid coronation clash". BBC News. 21 December 2022. Retrieved 21 December 2022.
  4. Lowry, Ben (22 May 2023). "Nationalists win the most votes, even when smaller independent unionist candidates are included". Belfast Newsletter. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
  5. "The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland - EONI". www.eoni.org.uk. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  6. Carroll, Rory (13 May 2022). "DUP condemned for paralysing Stormont as protocol row deepens". The Guardian. Retrieved 29 July 2022.
  7. McClements, Freya (19 May 2023). "Northern Ireland council elections: Sinn Féin bidding to overtake DUP". The Irish Times.
  8. PA Media (19 May 2023). "'Strong showing' for SF in NI local election - McDonald" via www.rte.ie.
  9. Gibbons, Amy; Crisp, James (19 May 2023). "Sinn Fein on course for victory in Northern Ireland local elections". The Dailt Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 19 May 2023.
  10. Tunney, Liam (7 August 2023). "Derry council election recount to take place on Wednesday, court rules". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 8 August 2023.
  11. Deeney, Niall (9 August 2023). "SDLP retain seat after recount following Alliance legal challenge". BelfastLive. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  12. McCambridge, Jonathan (20 May 2023). "Council election results overshadowed by question of when Stormont will return". BreakingNews.ie. Retrieved 27 August 2023.
  13. Hargan, Garrett (1 June 2023). "Orange Order decries 'unacceptably low' election turnout as it vows 'no surrender' over border poll". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 27 August 2023.

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