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Election results

Visit the Future Surrey website (opens new window) for the results of the West Surrey and East Surrey council elections held on 7 May.

Results of the first election for the new West Surrey Council

West Surrey election results 2026

Following today's count (8 May), for the West Surrey Council election, the Liberal Democrat Party won 56 of the 90 seats available - meaning it holds the majority.

The full political make-up of the new West Surrey Council is:

  • 56 Liberal Democrats
  • 20 Conservative Party
  • 9 Reform UK
  • 2 Farnham Residents
  • 1 Independent
  • 1 Residents for Guildford and Villages
  • 1 Runnymede Independent Residents' Group

A total of 452 candidates stood for 90 seats across 45 wards.

Electors cast their votes in polling stations all over West Surrey yesterday.

​​The total number of verified ballot papers was 435,821 from an electorate of 488,899 eligible voters in the West Surrey Council electoral area. This is made up of the geographic council areas of Spelthorne, Runnymede, Surrey Heath, Woking, Guildford and Waverley.

Results by ward and for East Surrey Council

Votes for the East Surrey Council election were also counted today.

Results can be found on the Future Surrey website together with a full list of successful candidates, including total votes for every candidate in each ward.

The results of local by-elections for vacated county, district and borough council seats, in Guildford, Reigate & Banstead and Tandridge areas, as well as parish council elections and/or Neighbourhood Planning Referendums, can be seen on individual council websites.

What happens next?

West Surrey Council will be officially established on 1 April 2027. In preparation, there will be a transition period and the councillors elected on 7 May will be part of a shadow authority, which will meet for the first time on 20 May.

At this meeting, the Council Leader will be voted in and they will announce the Deputy Leader as well as Shadow Executive Members.

To take into account the shadow authority period and to give stability for the new councils, the new councillors will have a five-year term of office. Subsequent terms of office will be four years.

The creation of two brand new unitary councils to replace the existing 12 councils is a major change to local government in Surrey. Unitary councils / unitary authorities are responsible for delivery of all council services in a geographic area - which is different to the current structure where the county council delivers some services and district or borough councils deliver others.

West Surrey Council will operate as a 'shadow authority' alongside existing county, district and borough councils for the first year - until they officially take over delivery of services from 1 April 2027.

In their role on the shadow authority, the newly elected councillors will set up the new council including agree budgets and council tax for 2027/28, decide staffing structures and governance arrangements, adopt codes of conduct and members' allowance schemes and prepare for the transfer of responsibilities from the existing councils in Surrey.

Existing county, borough and district councils will continue to operate and deliver their services as normal until 1 April 2027. Existing county, borough and district councillors will continue in their roles until this time, and residents should continue to contact them with service enquires as usual. The new shadow West Surrey councillors will only be able to respond on questions relating to the creation of the new councils in their first year of service.

Residents will be advised of any service changes in due course and the Future Surrey website will be kept updated.