New East Sussex County Councillors Elected
Following the local elections held on Thursday, 7 May 2026, East Sussex County Council have confirmed the new Councillors who have been elected for a term which is expected to run until May 2027.
Councillors Claire Dowling and Chris Dowling (both Conservative) were the incumbents in Uckfield North and Uckfield South with Framfield, respectively.
Both were standing for re-election, but were defeated by Councillor Kelvin Williams (Liberal Democrat) and Councillor Peter Griffiths (Reform UK), respectively.
Turnout in the Uckfield North ward was 48.55%, while in the Uckfield South with Framfield ward, it was 50.91%.
The results from both wards are illustrated in full, using East Sussex County Council’s official wording and figures, below.
Uckfield North
DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL
East Sussex County Council
Election of a County Councillor for
Uckfield North
on Thursday 7 May 2026
I, Trevor Scott, being the Deputy Returning Officer at above election, do hereby give notice that the number of votes recorded by each Candidate is as follows:
| Name of Candidate | Description (if any) | Number of votes* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| COATES Michelle Kandida Diane commonly known as COATES Michelle | Green Party | 407 | |
| DOWLING Claire Barbara | The Conservative Party Candidate | 785 | |
| RHODES John Charles | Reform UK | 1,082 | |
| UNDERHILL DYLAN | Labour Party | 138 | |
| WILLIAMS Kelvin John | Liberal Democrats | 1,113 Elected |
*If elected the word ‘Elected’ appears against the number of votes.
| Reason rejected | Number of ballot papers |
|---|---|
| Want of official mark | 0 |
| Voting for more candidates than voter was entitled to | 0 |
| Writing or mark by which the voter could be identified | 0 |
| Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty | 4 |
| Rejected in part | 0 |
| Total rejected | 4 |
Vacant seats: 1
Electorate: 7,273
Ballot papers issued: 3,531
Turnout: 48.55%
And I do hereby declare that Kelvin John Williams is duly elected.
Trevor Scott
Deputy Returning Officer
Dated: Friday 8 May 2026
Printed and published by the Deputy Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX
Uckfield South with Framfield
DECLARATION OF RESULT OF POLL
East Sussex County Council
Election of a County Councillor
Uckfield South with Framfield
on Thursday 7 May 2026
I, Trevor Scott, being the Deputy Returning Officer at above election, do hereby give notice that the number of votes recorded by each Candidate is as follows:
| Name of Candidate | Description (if any) | Number of votes* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUTLER Kathryn Ann commonly known as BUTLER Kathy | Liberal Democrats | 836 | |
| CHURNSIDE Linda Margaret | Green Party | 487 | |
| COX Ben Sebastian | Labour and Co-operative Party | 362 | |
| DOWLING Christopher David | The Conservative Party Candidate | 1,017 | |
| GRIFFITHS Peter John commonly known as GRIFFITHS Peter | Reform UK | 1,322 Elected |
*If elected the word ‘Elected’ appears against the number of votes.
| Reason rejected | Number of ballot papers |
|---|---|
| Want of an official mark | 0 |
| Voting for more Candidates than voter was entitled to | 0 |
| Writing or mark by which the voter could be identified | 0 |
| Being unmarked or wholly void for uncertainty | 13 |
| Rejected in part | 0 |
| Total rejected | 13 |
Vacant seats: 1
Electorate: 7,931
Ballot papers issued: 4,038
Turnout: 50.91%
I do hereby declare that, Peter John Griffiths is duly elected.
Trevor Scott
Deputy Returning Officer
Dated: Friday 8 May 2026
Printed and published by the Deputy Returning Officer, The Elections Office, Wealden District Council, Vicarage Lane, Hailsham, East Sussex, BN27 2AX
