Towns and parishes gearing up for elections will witness the count on Saturday, May 4th. While larger towns like Lyme Regis brace for contests, many areas struggled to garner enough candidates for an election to proceed.
As customary, venues ranging from village halls, community centres, Scout huts, and schools across the county are being utilided for voters. Unusual locations such as Blandford United Football Club, the Salt House at West Bay, the Weymouth Avenue Cricket Pavilion in Dorchester, and the Etches (fossil) collection for the South East Purbeck seat are also being pressed into service.
Some lucky voters might enjoy a drink and post their voting obligations at locations like The Sheaf of Arrows for the Cranborne and Alderholt seat, the Three Horseshoes at Powerstock for the Eggardon seat, and the Spyglass Inn at Bowleaze for the Littlemoor and Preston seats.
Dorset Council, dominated by the Conservatives with 43 councillors, maintains a four-seat majority on the 82-seat authority. Following are the contested Dorset Council seats and their respective candidates:
Candidates:
Beacon – Gillian Cross (Lab), Sheila Healy (Green), Claire Reed (Lib Dem), Jane Somper (Conservative).
Beaminster – Julie Cooke (Lab), Paul Fitzpatrick (Lib Dem), Richard Gunning, Yvonne Harris (Reform UK), Andy McEwen (Green), Craig Monks (Conservative).
Blackmore Vale – Vicki Elcoate (Green), Stephen Murcer (Conservative), Ian Suter (Lib Dem).
Blandford (2 seats) – Daniel Avery (Social Democratic Party), Gerald Davies (Labour), Noc Lacey-Clarke (Conservative), Hugo Mieville (Lib Dem), David Orton (Lib Dem), Byron Quayle (Conservative), Linda Stenner (Social Democratic Party), Dennis Wardleworth (Labour), Pete West (Green), Lisa Willis (Green).
Bridport (3 seats) – Bridget Bolwell (Lib Dem), Dave Bolwell (Lib Dem), Una Christopher (Conservative), Kelvin Clayton (Green), Anna Cox (Conservative), Bob Hamblett (Green), Julian Jones (Green), Frances McKenzie (Conservative), Steven Rose (Lab), Sarah Williams (Lib Dem).
Charminster St Mary – Nigel McCrea (Conservative), David Taylor (Lib Dem).
Chalk Valleys – John Bennet (Labour), Jill Haynes (Conservative), Iain Young (Lib Dem).
Chesil Bank – Sally Holland (Lib Dem), Richard Nicholls (Labour), Peter Reid (Green), Mark Roberts (Conservative).
Chickerell (2 seats) – Simon Clifford (Lib Dem), Jean Dunseith (Conservative), Andrew Reid (Conservative), Grafton Straker (Labour), Gill Taylor (Lib Dem).
Colehill & Wimborne (2 seats) – Jindy Atwal (Lib Dem), Carol Butler (Conservative), K D Johnson (Conservative), David Moore (Lab), Andrew Todd (Lib Dem), Emma Urquhart (Independent).
Corfe Mullen (2 seats) – Mike Barron (Conservative), Penny Barron (Conservative), Scott Florek (Lib Dem), Lee Hardy (Independent), Graham Hillman (Labour), Duncan Sowry-House (Lib Dem).
Cranborne and Alderholt – Adrian Hibberd (Conservative), Peter Parsons (Labour), Dave Tooke (Lib Dem).
Cranborne Chase – Piers Brown (Conservative), Louise Cooper (Labour), Tom Harding (Lib Dem).
Crossways – Jim Draper (Labour), Nick Ireland (Lib Dem), Andrew Ross-Skinner (Conservative).
Dorchester East (2 seats) – Mina Bowater (Conservative), Angus Christopher (Conservative), Gerald Duke (Conservative), Kate Hebditch (Lib Dem), Katy Jones (Independent), Stella Jones (Lib Dem), Rory Major (Lib Dem), Ash Mottaghi (Labour), Barry Thompson (Labour).
Dorchester Poundbury – Richard Biggs (Lib Dem), Nick Boothroyd (Labour), Len Herbert (Green), Peter Stein (Conservative).
Dorchester West (2 seats) – Andy Canning (Lib Dem), Les Fry (Independent), Jeremy Peel-Yates (Conservative), Kevin Selby (Conservative), Claudia Sorin (Labour), Andrew Wyatt (Labour).
Eggardon – Harry Coutts (Conservative), Richard Edwards (Green), Neil Eysenck (Lib Dem), David Machin (Labour).
Ferndown North (2 seats) – Simon Cable (Independent), Michael Clements (Lib Dem), Andrei Dragotoniu (Reform UK), Philip Leach (Independent), Cathy Lugg (Conservative), Mike Parkes (Conservative), Esbjörn Wilmar (Lib Dem).
Ferndown South (2 seats) – Ross Bowell (Lib Dem), Paul Hanson Graham (Independent), Hannah Hobbs-Chell (Independent), Susan Jefferies (Lib Dem), George Phillips (Conservative), Julie Robinson (Conservative), Lawrence Wilson (Independent).
Gillingham (3 seats) – David Fox (Lib Dem), Angela Henshall (Green), Anna March (Labour), Alex Percy (Lib Dem), Val Pothecary (Conservative), Belinda Ridout (Conservative), David Walsh (Conservative), Carl Woode (Lib Dem).
Hill Forts and Upper Tarrants – Alan Cross (Labour), Joseph Hickish (Lib Dem), Sherry Jespersen (Conservative), Keith Yarwood (Green).
Littlemoor and Preston (2 seats) – Alex Bailey (Independent), Steve Brown (Labour), Peter Dickenson (Conservative), Howard Legg (Lib Dem), Louie O’Leary (Conservative), Ann Weaving (Lib Dem).
Lyme Regis & Charmouth – Belinda Bawden (Green), Michaela Ellis (Conservative), David Hart (Labour), Paddy Mooney (Lib Dem).
Lytchett Matravers and Upton (3 seats) – John Billington (Labour), Alex Brenton (Lib Dem), Sean Gabriel (Conservative), Stew McKell (Conservative), Bill Pipe (Conservative), Steve Robinson (Lib Dem), Andrew Starr (Lib Dem).
Marshwood Vale – Steve Chapman (Labour), Simon Christopher (Conservative), Jane Gregory (Lib Dem), Jacqui Sewell (Green).
Melcombe Regis – Howard Atkinson (Labour), Jon Orrell (Green), Claire Wall (Conservative).
Portland (3 seats) – Catherine Bennett (Green), Susan Cocking (Independent), Margaret Gadd (Conservative), Lee Harmsworth (Lib Dem), Holly Hope (Lib Dem), Rob Hughes (Independent), Paul Kimber (Labour), Ian Munro-Price (Conservative), Bernard Parkes (Labour), Carralyn Parkes (Labour), Gillian Pearson (Lib Dem), Maureen Quinn (Conservative), Pete Roper (Independent).
Puddletown and Lower Winterborne – Helen Badger (Labour), James Lloyd (Lib Dem), Emma Parker (Conservative).
Radipole (2 seats) – Matt Bell (Lib Dem), Louise Bown (Lib Dem), Pauline Crump (Labour), James Farquharson (Conservative), George Granycome (Conservative).
Rodwell and Wyke (3 seats) – Valerie Graves (Green), Caroline Nickinson (Conservative), Richard Nickinson (Conservative), Antony Prowse (Labour), Clare Sutton (Green), Thomas Taylor (Labour), Claudia Webb (Green), Kate Wheller (Labour), Clare Williams (Conservative).
Shaftesbury Town (2 seats) – Dan Bavister (Labour), Derek Beer (Lib Dem), Lester Dibben, Virginia Edwyn-Jones (Conservative), Andrew Hollingshead (Independent), Jack Jeanes (Lib Dem), Lester Taylor (Patriots Alliance – English Democrats and UKIP), Steve Unwin (Patriots Alliance – English Democrats and UKIP), Barry Von Clemens (Conservative).
Sherborne East – Jon Andrews (Lib Dem), Robert Casey (Green), Juliet Pentolfe (Conservative).
Sherborne Rural – Stephen Hillier (Conservative), Robin Legg (Lib Dem).
Sherborne West – Rebecca Burns (Conservative), Richard Crabb (Lib Dem), Taff Martin (Independent).
South East Purbeck – Cherry Brooks (Conservative), Peter Copp (Labour), Ben Wilson (Lib Dem).
St Leonards and St Ives (2 seats) – Andrew Barham (Lib Dem), Ray Bryan (Conservative), Nicola Buckell (Lib Dem), Barry Goringe (Conservative).
Stalbridge & Marnhull – Rosalind Eveleigh (Lib Dem), Richard Harvey (Green), James Vitali (Conservative).
Stour and Allen Vale – Will Chakawhata (Lib Dem), Robin Cook (Conservative), Maryanne Pike (Labour).
Sturminster Newton – Jennifer Daultrey (Labour), Carole Jones (Conservative), Kevin Maitland-Gleed (Lib Dem).
Swanage (2 seats) – Chris Bradey (Labour), Gill Calvin Thomas (Lib Dem), Philip Eades (Independent), Helen McDavid (Independent), Debby Monkhouse (Labour), Matt Piper (Lib Dem), Kia Pope (Green), Gary Suttle (Conservative), William Trite (Conservative).
Upwey and Broadwey – Jan Bergman (Conservative), David Northam (Lib Dem), Byron Silver (Labour).
Verwood (3 seats) – John Baxter (UK Independence Party), Toni Coombs (Conservative), Lindsey Dedden (Lib Dem), Spencer Flower (Conservative), Simon Gibson (Conservative), Ginette Holdroyd (Lib Dem), Ted Mason (Lib Dem), Sandra Turner (Labour).
Wareham (2 seats) – Beryl Ezzard (Lib Dem), Ryan Holloway (Lib Dem), David Law (Labour), Jane Newell (Conservative), Victoria Stocqueler (Conservative).
West Moors & Three Legged Cross (2 seats) – Steven Anzinger-Cooper (Independent), Peter Durant (Lib Dem), Malcolm Hobbs (Independent), David Shortell (Conservative), Andy Skeats (Conservative), Sally Walls (Lib Dem).
West Parley – Marlies Koustaal (Lib Dem), Ann Miller (Independent), Andrew Parry (Conservative).
West Purbeck (2 seats) – Michael Baker (Lib Dem), Laura Beddow (Conservative), David Civil (Lib Dem), Peter Green (Labour), David Peden (Labour), Peter Wharf (Conservative).
Westham (2 seats) – Alex Fuhrmann (Lib Dem), Lucy Hamilton (Labour), Ryan Hope (Lib Dem), Christine James (Independent), Alexander McGlynn (Conservative), Jon Rodd (Labour), Thomas Tannassee (Conservative).
Wimborne Minster (2 seats) – Mike Bartlett (Conservative), Shane Bartlett (Lib Dem), Sue Cook (Conservative), David Morgan (Lib Dem), Ashley Rowlands (Labour).
Winterborne & Broadmayne – Graham Brant (Reform UK), Mark Penfold (Conservative), Roland Tarr (Lib Dem).
Winterborne North – Barrie Cooper (Lib Dem), Steve O’Connell (Conservative), Haydn White (Labour).
Yetminster – Diane Howell (Conservative), Chris Kippax (Lib Dem), Stuart Martin (Green).