ELECTIONS: New County Council being elected today across West Sussex

Voters arrive to vote in the by-election at a polling station at Corby Community Centre, Corby, Northamptonshire.

Going into the election, the council was Conservative controlled and made up of 47 Conservative members, 18 Liberal Democrat members, three Labour members, one United Kingdom Independence Party member and two Independents.

Twelve of the 71 seats on the county council fall in the Horsham district currently held by seven Conservatives and five Liberal Democrats.

The Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats and UKIP have fielded candidates in every division. Labour is standing in all but two divisions. There are also candidates standing as Independents and one member of the Peace Party.

The last WSCC elections in 2009 had a turnout of 38.72 per cent when the Conservative Party gained seats two seats in the county and the Liberal Democrats increased their number by four; Labour lost five seats.

Due to the resignations of Horsham District Councillors Chris Mason and Andrew Dunlop in March, there will also be two district by-elections today in the wards of Chantry and Cowfold, Shermanbury and West Grinstead.

Voters will elect new district councillors in those wards as well as their vote for their county councillor.

The County Times will be reporting all the election news as it happens. Reporters Joshua Powling and Anna Coe will visit polling stations today and they will be at the count tomorrow keeping you up to date with the results as they come in.

You can follow the coverage on the newspaper’s website www.wscountytimes.co.uk, on the Facebook page or using the Twitter hashtag #WSCCelections