This article is part of a series within the
Politics of the United Kingdom on the
Politics of Northern Ireland
Executive

 a Lowercase "d" per here.

Assembly
Law
Northern Ireland in the UK
Northern Ireland and Ireland
Local government

Elections in Northern Ireland are held on a regular basis to local councils, the Northern Ireland Assembly and to the Parliament of the United Kingdom.

The Northern Ireland Assembly has 90 members, elected in 18 five-member constituencies by the single transferable vote (STV) method.[1] Northern Ireland is represented at Westminster by 18 single-member constituencies elected by the first-past-the-post method.

Unlike in the rest of the United Kingdom, elections in Northern Ireland are administered centrally by the Chief Electoral Officer for Northern Ireland and the Electoral Office for Northern Ireland rather than by local authorities.

Elections to the United Kingdom House of Commons

Legend
U: Unionist; N: Nationalist; O: Other.
Graphs are unavailable due to technical issues. There is more info on Phabricator and on MediaWiki.org.
Results over time(Northern Irish seats for parliament)
Election DUP (U) SF (N) UUP (U) SDLP (N) APNI (O) UKUP (U) UPUP (U) UUUP (U) VUPP (U) RLP (N) PUP (U) Unity (N) NP (N) Lab (O) Ind U Ind N Ind Lab Total Total U Total N Total O
1922 11 2 13 11 2
1923 11 2 13 11 2
1924 13 13 13
1929 11 2 13 11 2
1931 11 2 13 11 2
1935 11 2 13 11 2
1945 9 2 1 1 13 10 2 1
1950 10 2 12 10 2
1951 9 2 1 12 9 2 1
1955 2 10 12 10 2
1959 12 12 12
1964 12 12 12
1966 11 1 12 11 1
1970 8 1 1 2 12 9 3
Feb. 1974 1 7 1 3 12 11 1
Oct. 1974 1 6 1 3 1 12 10 2
1979 3 5 1 1 1 1 12 10 2
1983 3 1 11 1 1 17 15 2
1987 3 1 9 3 1 17 13 4
1992 3 9 4 1 17 13 4
1997 2 2 10 3 1 18 13 5
2001 5 4 6 3 18 11 7
2005 9 5 1 3 18 10 8
2010 8 5 3 1 1 18 9 8 1
2015 8 4 2 3 1 18 11 7
2017 10 7 1 18 11 7
2019 8 7 2 1 18 8 9 1

By-elections

Gains are marked with a grey background.

Constituency Date Incumbent Party Winner Party Cause
Mid Armagh 23 June 1921 James Lonsdale Ulster Unionist Henry Armstrong Ulster Unionist Death
Belfast Duncairn 23 June 1921 Edward Carson Ulster Unionist Thomas McConnell Ulster Unionist Appointed Lord of Appeal in Ordinary
North Down 23 June 1921 Thomas Watters Brown Ulster Unionist Thomas Watters Brown Ulster Unionist Appointed Solicitor-General for Ireland
Mid Down 2 July 1921 James Craig Ulster Unionist Robert Sharman-Crawford Ulster Unionist Elected Prime Minister of Northern Ireland
West Down 5 July 1921 Daniel Martin Wilson Ulster Unionist Thomas Browne Wallace Ulster Unionist Appointed Recorder of Belfast
South Londonderry 29 August 1921 Denis Henry Ulster Unionist Robert Chichester Ulster Unionist Appointed Lord Chief Justice of Northern Ireland
South Londonderry 18 January 1922 Robert Chichester Ulster Unionist William Pain Ulster Unionist Death
West Down 17 February 1922 Thomas Browne Wallace Ulster Unionist Hugh Hayes Ulster Unionist Appointed Chief Clerk to the High Court of Northern Ireland
North Down 21 February 1922 Thomas Watters Brown Ulster Unionist Sir Henry Wilson, Bt Ulster Unionist Appointed to the High Court of Northern Ireland
North Londonderry 4 June 1922 Hugh T. Barrie Ulster Unionist Malcolm Macnaghten Ulster Unionist Death
North Down 21 July 1922 Sir Henry Wilson, Bt Ulster Unionist John Simms Ulster Unionist Killed by the IRA
Londonderry 29 January 1929 Malcolm Macnaghten Ulster Unionist Ronald Ross Ulster Unionist Appointment to High Court of Justice of England and Wales
Fermanagh and Tyrone 7 March 1931 Thomas Harbison Nationalist Cahir Healy Nationalist Death
Fermanagh and Tyrone 27 June 1934 Joseph Devlin Nationalist Joe Stewart Nationalist Death
Down 10 May 1939 David Reid Ulster Unionist James Little Ulster Unionist Death
Belfast East 8 February 1940 Herbert Dixon Ulster Unionist Henry Harland Ulster Unionist Elevation to the Peerage
Queen's University of Belfast 2 November 1940 Thomas Sinclair Ulster Unionist Douglas Savory Ulster Unionist Resignation
Belfast West 9 February 1943 Alexander Browne Ulster Unionist Jack Beattie NI Labour Death
Antrim 11 February 1943 Sir Joseph McConnell, Bt Ulster Unionist John Dermot Campbell Ulster Unionist Death
Down 2 June 194 James Little Ind. Unionist C. H. Mullan Ulster Unionist Death
Armagh 5 March 1948 Sir William Allen Ulster Unionist James Harden Ulster Unionist Death by road accident
Belfast West 29 November 1950 J. G. MacManaway Ulster Unionist Thomas Teevan Ulster Unionist Disqualified under the House of Commons (Clergy Disqualification) Act 1801
Londonderry 19 May 1951 Ronald Ross Ulster Unionist William Wellwood Ulster Unionist Appointment as Northern Ireland Government Agent in London
North Antrim 27 October 1952 Sir Hugh O'Neill Ulster Unionist Phelim O'Neill Ulster Unionist Resignation
Belfast South 4 November 1952 Conolly Gage Ulster Unionist David Campbell Ulster Unionist Resignation
North Down 15 April 1953 Walter Smiles Ulster Unionist Patricia Ford Ulster Unionist Died in MV Princess Victoria ferry disaster
Armagh 20 November 1954 James Harden Ulster Unionist C. W. Armstrong Ulster Unionist Resignation
Mid Ulster 11 August 1955 Tom Mitchell Sinn Féin Tom Mitchell Sinn Féin Disqualification
Mid Ulster 8 May 1956 Charles Beattie Ulster Unionist George Forrest Ind. Unionist Disqualification
Belfast East 19 March 1959 Alan McKibbin Ulster Unionist Stanley McMaster Ulster Unionist Death
Belfast South 22 October 1963 Sir David Campbell Ulster Unionist Rafton Pounder Ulster Unionist Death
Mid Ulster 17 April 1969 George Forrest Ulster Unionist Bernadette Devlin Unity Death
Fermanagh and South Tyrone 9 April 1981 Frank Maguire Independent Nationalist Bobby Sands Anti H-Block Death
Fermanagh and South Tyrone 20 August 1981 Bobby Sands Anti H-Block Owen Carron Anti H-Block Death from hunger strike
Belfast South 4 March 1982 Robert Bradford Ulster Unionist Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist Killed by the IRA
Antrim North 23 January 1986 Ian Paisley DUP Ian Paisley DUP Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Antrim East 23 January 1986 Roy Beggs Ulster Unionist Roy Beggs Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Antrim South 23 January 1986 Clifford Forsythe Ulster Unionist Clifford Forsythe Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Belfast East 23 January 1986 Peter Robinson DUP Peter Robinson DUP Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Belfast North 23 January 1986 Cecil Walker Ulster Unionist Cecil Walker Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Belfast South 23 January 1986 Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist Martin Smyth Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Down North 23 January 1986 James Kilfedder UPUP James Kilfedder UPUP Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Down South 23 January 1986 Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist Enoch Powell Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Fermanagh and South Tyrone 23 January 1986 Ken Maginnis Ulster Unionist Ken Maginnis Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Lagan Valley 23 January 1986 James Molyneaux Ulster Unionist James Molyneaux Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
East Londonderry 23 January 1986 William Ross Ulster Unionist William Ross Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Mid Ulster 23 January 1986 William McCrea DUP William McCrea DUP Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Strangford 23 January 1986 John Taylor Ulster Unionist John Taylor Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Newry and Armagh 23 January 1986 James Nicholson Ulster Unionist Seamus Mallon SDLP Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Upper Bann 23 January 1986 Harold McCusker Ulster Unionist Harold McCusker Ulster Unionist Resignation in protest at Anglo-Irish Agreement
Upper Bann 17 May 1990 Harold McCusker Ulster Unionist David Trimble Ulster Unionist Death
North Down 15 June 1995 Sir James Kilfedder UPUP Robert McCartney UK Unionist Death
South Antrim 21 September 2000 Clifford Forsythe Ulster Unionist William McCrea DUP Death
Belfast West 9 June 2011 Gerry Adams Sinn Féin Paul Maskey Sinn Féin Resignation to contest the Louth constituency in the Irish general election
Mid Ulster 7 March 2013 Martin McGuinness Sinn Féin Francie Molloy Sinn Féin Resignation to end dual mandate as Member of Parliament and Member of the Northern Ireland Assembly
West Tyrone 3 May 2018 Barry McElduff Sinn Féin Órfhlaith Begley Sinn Féin Resignation

Recall petition

Referendums

Northern Ireland-specific referendums

United Kingdom-wide referendums

Elections to the Northern Ireland Assembly

Legend
U: Unionist; N: Nationalist; O: Other.
Election DUP (U) SF (N) UUP (U) SDLP (N) APNI (O) UKUP (U) UPUP (U) PUP (U) VUPP (U) UPNI (U) NILP (O) NIWC (O) GPNI (O) TUV (U) PBP (O) Ind U Ind N Ind O Total Total U Total N Total O
1973 8 31 19 8 7 1 4 78 50 19 9
1975 12 19 17 8 14 5 1 2 78 52 17 9
1982 21 5 26 14 10 1 1 78 49 19 10
1998 20 18 28 24 6 5 2 2 3 108 58 42 8
2003 30 24 27 18 6 1 1 1 108 59 42 7
2007 36 28 18 16 7 1 1 1 108 55 44 9
2011 38 29 16 14 8 1 1 1 108 56 43 9
2016 38 28 16 12 8 2 1 2 1 108 56 40 12
2017 28 27 10 12 8 2 1 1 1 90 40 39 11
2022 25 27 9 8 17 1 1 2 90 37 35 18

Elections to the European Parliament

Main article: Northern Ireland (European Parliament constituency)

From 1979 to 2020, three of the seats in the European Parliament allocated to the United Kingdom formed a three-seat constituency elected by single transferable vote. It differed from European Parliament constituencies elsewhere in the United Kingdom which used the D'Hondt method. The United Kingdom withdrew from the European Union on 31 January 2020, and the constituency was abolished.

Year
DUP SF APNI UUP SDLP
1979 1 0 0 1 1
1984 1 0 0 1 1
1989 1 0 0 1 1
1994 1 0 0 1 1
1999 1 0 0 1 1
2004 1 1 0 1 0
2009 1 1 0 1 0
2014 1 1 0 1 0
2019 1 1 1 0 0

Ad hoc elections

Elections to the Northern Ireland House of Commons

By-elections

Local elections

Further information: Local government in Northern Ireland § Elections, and Category:Council elections in Northern Ireland

References

  1. ^ Whyte, Nicholas. "The Single Transferable Vote (STV)". Northern Ireland Elections. Retrieved 28 June 2016.

External links

Elections and referendums in Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland Assembly
Elections in Europe
Category