The 2019 Dorset Council election was held on Thursday 2 May 2019 to elect councillors to the new
Dorset Council in England. It took place on the same day as other district council elections in the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
.
These were the first elections to the new unitary council, which has come into effect on 1 April 2019. The new unitary authority was created to administer most of the area formerly administered by
Dorset County Council
Dorset County Council (DCC) was the county council for the county of Dorset in England. It provided the upper tier of local government, below which were district councils, and town and parish councils. The county council had 46 elected council ...
, which was previously subdivided into the districts of
Weymouth and Portland
Weymouth and Portland was a local government district and borough in Dorset, England. It consisted of the resort of Weymouth and the Isle of Portland, and includes the areas of Wyke Regis, Preston, Melcombe Regis, Upwey, Broadwey, Southi ...
,
West Dorset
West Dorset was a local government district in Dorset, England. Its council was based in Dorchester. The district was formed on 1 April 1974, under the Local Government Act 1972, and was a merger of the boroughs of Bridport, Dorchester an ...
,
North Dorset
North Dorset was a local government district in Dorset, England. It was largely rural, but included the towns of Blandford Forum, Gillingham, Shaftesbury, Stalbridge and Sturminster Newton. Much of North Dorset was in the River Stour ...
,
Purbeck, and
East Dorset
East Dorset was a local government district in Dorset, England. Its council met in Wimborne Minster between 2016 and 2019.
The district (as Wimborne) was formed on 1 April 1974 by merging Wimborne Minster Urban District with Wimborne and Cran ...
. The previous elections in for Dorset County Council took place in 2017, and for the former district councils in 2015 and 2016. Future elections will take place in 2024 and 2029, and then every 4 years.
The 2019 election saw the