2 May 2013 2017 → 4 1 15 9 Start date May 2, 2013 | 55 4 39 15 16 11 | |
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Elections to Suffolk County Council took place on 2 May 2013 as part of the United Kingdom local elections, 2013. 75 councillors were elected from 63 electoral divisions, which returned either one or two county councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office. The electoral divisions were the same as those used at the previous election in 2009.
Labour and the Conservatives were the only parties with candidates standing in all sixty-three electoral divisions.
All locally registered electors (British, Irish, Commonwealth and European Union citizens) who were aged 18 or over on Thursday 2 May 2013 were entitled to vote in the local elections. Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the local elections, although those who had moved abroad and registered as overseas electors cannot vote in the local elections. It is possible to register to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who had a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) at the discretion of the local Electoral Register Office, but it remains an offence to vote more than once in the same local government election.
Summary
The Conservative Party won a total of 39 seats, a net loss of sixteen, retaining a reduced overall majority of three seats. The Labour Party regained their position as the largest opposition party, making a net gain of 11 seats. The UK Independence Party also made gains, winning nine seats on the County Council. The Liberal Democrats lost seats to the Conservatives and to Labour, winning the same number of seats as they won in 2005, seven. Three independent candidates were elected, while the Green Party retained their two seats.