Almost 5,000 people voted in the Rottingdean Coastal by-election, with a turnout of just over 44 per cent.
All the ballot papers were verified by about midnight – two hours after polling stations closed.
Some 3,191 people voted on polling day (Thursday 5 May) while a further 1,705 people voted by post.
In all, 4,896 votes were cast out of an electorate of 11,124, making a turnout of 44.01 per cent.
Counting is under way, with six candidates vying for a seat on Brighton and Hove City Council after Conservative councillor Joe Miller resigned.
The ward includes west Saltdean, Rottingdean, Ovingdean, Roedean, Brighton Marina and roads in east Brighton south of Bristol Gardens and east of Church Place and Rock Street.
The six candidates are
- Libby Darling – Green
- Lynda Hyde – Conservative
- Robert McIntosh – Labour
- Stewart Stone – Liberal Democrat
- Stephen White – Independent
- Alison Wright – Independent
…
At the last local elections in May 2019, the turnout was 45.85 per cent, with 5,129 votes cast.
This was down from 6,128 votes or 54.54 per cent in 2015 when local elections and the general election were held on the same day.
In 2019, Bridget Fishleigh, an Independent, was elected along with Conservatives Mary Mears and Joe Miller.
She became the first Independent elected to the council in more than 10 years.
Until then, Rottingdean Coastal was regarded as a ward with three safe Tory seats.
On Monday (2 May) all six candidates took part in a hustings organised by Brighton and Hove News in collaboration with the Local Democracy Reporting Service.
