Elections
Election 2013
On Thursday 2 May 2013 people over the age of 18 in Devon went to the polls to determine who will lead Devon County Council and be responsible for key local services. See the Election 2013 results. A PDF containing all the Election 2013 results is also available to download.
County Council elections in England take place once every four years, and all 62 seats in Devon are up for grabs.
Devon County Council is the largest local authority in the South West and is responsible for 85% of all local public services in the County including key services such as schools, roads and social care. Its total annual budget is over £1.1 billion per year.
The County is divided into 62 electoral divisions with one County Councillor representing each division. The average population represented by each Councillor is 10,000 people.
The organisation of the elections is undertaken on the County Council’s behalf by Exeter City Council and the seven District Councils in Devon. The County Returning Officer, who is the County Solicitor, appoints Deputy Returning Officers, who are senior District Council staff, to manage the elections within their respective districts.
Why is this election important?
Devon County Council touches the lives of thousands of people throughout Devon. It is responsible for spending a huge public budget to provide key local services to children and families, the elderly and vulnerable and to support communities. It is also responsible for key infrastructure such as the massive County road network and is the ONLY democratically elected voice for the whole County on issues such as the economy and sustainability.
Helping the local economy to weather the recession, investing in a sustainable future for our communities, protecting the environment, caring for our growing number of older people, ensuring a good future for our children… These are all key issues the County continues to face over coming years. At the same time, pressure on public spending gives this particular election added significance.
This is the chance for local people to have a real say and influence the future direction of the County and our local priorities over the next four years.