Community Council Seats Contested

Year	2018	2019 By-Election	2022
Available seats	163	43	163
Total number of Community Councils participating	18	15	18
Nominations received	120	32	125
Vacant Seats	43	16	38
Return rate	73.6%	74.4%	76.7%
Contested seats	0	9	0
Percentage of total seats contested	0.0%	20.9%	0.0%
Contested Councils	10	4	0
Percentage of Councils contested	0.0%	26.7%	0.0%

In 2018 there were 163 available Community Council seats. 120 nominations were received which means the return rate was 74%. None of the seats were contested, leaving 43 vacant seats.

Due to there being 43 vacant seats a by-election was held in 2019, with 32 nominations received (a return rate of 74%). Seats were available in 15 Community Councils, 4 of which saw seats contested. A total of 9 seats out of the 43 available were contested and not all seats were filled, with 16 seats remaining vacant after the by-election was completed.

The percentage of seats contested rose from 0% in the 2018 elections, to 21% in the 2019 by-election. This is over the 2021 target of 10%. A note of caution with regards to this figure is that it was a by-election, with fewer seats available. 

In terms of the number of Community Councils that saw contested seats, in the by-election, 27% saw contests. Again, however, this figure drops when you factor in all 18 Community Councils, and not just the 15 taking part in the by-election. The figure for this is 22%.

The most recent Community Council elections were in November 2022. 125 nominations were received for the 163 available seats. This was a return rate of 77%. None of the seats were contested, leaving 38 vacant seats.

In terms of trends, there has been no change in the number of Community Council seats contested from the baseline recorded in 2018. The increase in return rate for nominations from 74% in 2018 to 77% in 2022, however, does indicate some positive progress with more of the available seats filled. There is also progress with 25% of the seats being filled by people who have not previously been a Community Councillor.

Shetland Islands Council completed a review of its Scheme for the Establishment of Community Councils in March 2025 where the Council approved a new Scheme which was effective immediately. This covered a range of matters such as the number of Community Councils, Community Council areas and boundaries, election rules, the roles and responsibilities of community councillors, community council funding and other governance requirements. The next Community Council elections will be held in November 2025. 

Last updated: April 2025