1973 Ballymena Borough Council election
{{short description|Local government election in Northern Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{main|Northern Ireland local elections, 1973}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1973 Ballymena Borough Council election
| country =
| flag_year =
| flag_image =
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| party_colour =
| party_name =
| previous_election =
| previous_year =
| previous_mps =
| election_date = {{Start date|1973|05|30|df=y}}
| elected_mps =
| next_election = 1977 Ballymena Borough Council election
| next_year = 1977
| next_mps =
| seats_for_election= All 21 seats to Ballymena Borough Council
| majority_seats = 11
| opinion_polls =
| turnout =
| party1 = Ulster Unionist Party
| seats1 = 9
| seat_change1 =
| party2 = Democratic Unionist Party
| seats2 = 5
| seat_change2 =
| party3 = Independent Unionist
| seats3 = 3
| seat_change3 =
| party4 = Independent (politician)
| seats4 = 2
| seat_change4 =
| party5 = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
| seats5 = 1
| seat_change5 =
| party6 = Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party
| seats6 = 1
| seat_change6 =
| map_image =
| map_size =
| map_alt =
| map =
| map_caption = Party with the most votes by district.
}}
Elections to Ballymena Borough Council were held on 30 May 1973 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used four district electoral areas to elect a total of 21 councillors.
Election results
| class=wikitable
! colspan=2 align=center|Party ! valign=top|Seats ! valign=top|± ! valign=top|First Pref. votes ! valign=top|FPv% ! valign=top|±% |
| {{Party name with colour|Ulster Unionist Party}}
| align=right|9 | align=right| | align=right|8,688 | align=right|37.9% | align=right| |
| {{Party name with colour|Democratic Unionist Party}}
| align=right|5 | align=right| | align=right|5,607 | align=right|37.9% | align=right| |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent Unionist}}
| align=right|3 | align=right| | align=right|2,142 | align=right|9.3% | align=right| |
| {{Party name with colour|Independent (politician)}}
| align=right|2 | align=right| | align=right|3,324 | align=right|14.5% | align=right| |
| {{Party name with colour|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}
| align=right|1 | align=right| | align=right|1,469 | align=right|6.4% | align=right| |
| {{Party name with colour|Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party}}
| align=right|1 | align=right| | align=right|1,276 | align=right|5.6% | align=right| |
| {{Party name with colour|Northern Ireland Labour Party}}
| align=right|0 | align=right| | align=right|438 | align=right|1.9% | align=right| |
| colspan=2 align=center|Totals
| align=right |21 | align=center| | align=right |22,944 | align=center|100.0% | align=center|— |
Districts summary
{{election table|title=Results of the Ballymena Borough Council election, 1973
by district|sortable=yes}}
|- class="unsortable" align="centre"
!rowspan=2 align="left"|Ward
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
! %
!Cllrs
!rowspan=2|Total
Cllrs
|- class="unsortable" align="center"
!colspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Ulster Unionist Party}}" | UUP
!colspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Democratic Unionist Party}}" | DUP
!colspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Alliance Party of Northern Ireland}}" | Alliance
!colspan=2 bgcolor="{{party color|Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party}}" | Vanguard
!colspan=2 bgcolor="white"| Others
|-
|align="left"|Area A
|bgcolor="40BFF5"|45.3
|bgcolor="40BFF5"|2
|13.6
|1
|2.3
|0
|0.0
|0
|38.8
|1
|4
|-
|align="left"|Area B
|16.0
|1
|39.1
|2
|5.3
|0
|0.0
|0
|bgcolor="DDDDDD"|39.6
|bgcolor="DDDDDD"|3
|6
|-
|align="left"|Area C
|bgcolor="40BFF5"|40.9
|bgcolor="40BFF5"|3
|18.4
|1
|4.5
|0
|22.4
|1
|13.8
|0
|5
|-
|align="left"|Area D
|bgcolor="40BFF5"|50.8
|bgcolor="40BFF5"|3
|22.8
|1
|11.7
|1
|0.0
|0
|14.7
|1
|6
|-
|- class="unsortable" class="sortbottom" style="background:#C9C9C9"
|align="left"| Total
|37.9
|9
|24.2
|5
|6.4
|1
|5.6
|1
|25.9
|5
|21
|-
|}
Districts results
=Area A=
1973: 2 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent Unionist
{{STV Election box begin2|
|title=Ballymena Area A - 4 seats{{cite web|title=Local Government Results 1973|url=https://www.eoni.org.uk/getmedia/76aa0570-21f1-4b65-9c6e-764faf19cdb4/local_government_election_results_1973|website=EONI|access-date=9 July 2021}}
|numcounts= 6
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = Thomas Hume
|count1 = 934
|percentage = 21.74%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent Unionist
|candidate = Clifford Davison
|count1 = 894
|percentage = 20.81%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = Thomas McCaughey
|count1 = 639
|percentage = 14.87%
|count2 = 666
|count3 = 1,036
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|candidate = William Wilson
|count1 = 586
|percentage = 13.64%
|count2 = 592
|count3 = 612
|count4 = 759.4
|count5 = 818.57
|count6 = 849.95
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = J. J. O'Hagan
|count1 = 773
|percentage = 17.99%
|count2 = 792
|count3 = 794
|count4 = 822.6
|count5 = 835.02
|count6 = 835.46
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = D. McCarthy
|count1 = 374
|percentage = 8.70%
|count2 = 409
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|candidate = S. O. Nesbitt
|count1 = 97
|percentage = 2.26%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box end2
|numcounts = 6
|electorate = 6,576
|valid = 4,297 (65.34%)
|spoilt = 57
|quota = 860
|turnout = 4,354 (66.21%)
}}
=Area B=
1973: 2 x UUP, 2 x Independent Unionist, 1 x DUP, 1 x Independent
{{STV Election box begin2|
|title=Ballymena Area B - 4 seats
|numcounts= 6
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = A. Simpson
|count1 = 1,390
|percentage = 22.30%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|candidate = Sandy Spence
|count1 = 1,251
|percentage = 20.07%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|candidate = Roy Gillespie
|count1 = 1,188
|percentage = 19.06%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = W. Dickey
|count1 = 734
|percentage = 11.78%
|count2 = 930.8
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent Unionist
|candidate = Hugh Simpson
|count1 = 467
|percentage = 7.49%
|count2 = 541
|count3 = 648.3
|count4 = 728.34
|count5 = 814.64
|count6 = 894.12
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent Unionist
|candidate = Thomas Smyth
|count1 = 376
|percentage = 6.03%
|count2 = 431.6
|count3 = 504.1
|count4 = 607.6
|count5 = 693.1
|count6 = 786.54
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = W. O. Given
|count1 = 261
|percentage = 4.19%
|count2 = 305.8
|count3 = 433.98
|count4 = 481.36
|count5 = 569.28
|count6 = 685.18
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|candidate = Maeve Kyle
|count1 = 330
|percentage = 5.30%
|count2 = 398.4
|count3 = 413.48
|count4 = 420.38
|count5 = 435.78
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = W. R. McNeilly
|count1 = 235
|percentage = 3.77%
|count2 = 291
|count3 = 324.64
|count4 = 378
|count5 =
|count6 =
}}
{{STV Election box end2
|numcounts = 6
|electorate = 9,474
|valid = 6,232 (65.78%)
|spoilt = 61
|quota = 891
|turnout = 6,293 (66.42%)
}}
=Area C=
1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Vanguard
{{STV Election box begin2|
|title=Ballymena Area C - 5 seats
|numcounts= 11
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Vanguard Unionist Progressive Party
|candidate = David Allen
|count1 = 1,169
|percentage = 20.65%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|candidate = John McAuley
|count1 = 1,039
|percentage = 18.35%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = George Sloane
|count1 = 974
|percentage = 17.20%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = A. Hyndman
|count1 = 496
|percentage = 8.76%
|count2 = 514.24
|count3 = 521.17
|count4 = 525.69
|count5 = 551.96
|count6 = 559.58
|count7 = 616.08
|count8 = 621.47
|count9 = 687.04
|count10= 750.6
|count11= 823.03
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = W. McWilliams
|count1 = 465
|percentage = 8.21%
|count2 = 477.92
|count3 = 484.58
|count4 = 489.15
|count5 = 513.53
|count6 = 523.58
|count7 = 565.82
|count8 = 570.23
|count9 = 639.26
|count10= 693.06
|count11= 744.59
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = F. McNeill
|count1 = 381
|percentage = 6.73%
|count2 = 390.88
|count3 = 394.03
|count4 = 394.22
|count5 = 416.31
|count6 = 421.68
|count7 = 437.53
|count8 = 438.56
|count9 = 491.07
|count10= 524.02
|count11= 566.39
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|candidate = M. M. McAleese
|count1 = 254
|percentage = 4.49%
|count2 = 255.33
|count3 = 255.33
|count4 = 259.33
|count5 = 265.33
|count6 = 265.93
|count7 = 272.14
|count8 = 418.23
|count9 = 449.66
|count10= 453.36
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Vanguard Progressive Unionist Party
|candidate = Elizabeth Roulton
|count1 = 107
|percentage = 1.89%
|count2 = 264.51
|count3 = 329.04
|count4 = 329.23
|count5 = 348.44
|count6 = 349.7
|count7 = 377.8
|count8 = 382.08
|count9 = 400.1
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent Unionist
|candidate = William Simpson
|count1 = 212
|percentage = 3.74%
|count2 = 216.37
|count3 = 218.62
|count4 = 219.8
|count5 = 241.74
|count6 = 243.9
|count7 = 274.19
|count8 = 298.19
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
|candidate = F. R. Kelly
|count1 = 173
|percentage = 3.06%
|count2 = 174.14
|count3 = 174.5
|count4 = 213.59
|count5 = 226.59
|count6 = 226.71
|count7 = 238.86
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent Unionist
|candidate = Robert McCosh
|count1 = 193
|percentage = 3.41%
|count2 = 199.84
|count3 = 205.87
|count4 = 206.96
|count5 = 211.15
|count6 = 212.92
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = J. Montgomery
|count1 = 144
|percentage = 2.54%
|count2 = 147.23
|count3 = 148.67
|count4 = 149.67
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
|candidate = B. Galbraith
|count1 = 55
|percentage = 0.97%
|count2 = 57.85
|count3 = 58.21
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
|count10=
|count11=
}}
{{STV Election box end2
|numcounts = 11
|electorate = 9,068
|valid = 5,662 (62.44%)
|spoilt = 89
|quota = 944
|turnout = 5,751 (63.42%)
}}
=Area D=
1973: 3 x UUP, 1 x DUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
{{STV Election box begin2|
|title=Ballymena Area D - 6 seats
|numcounts= 9
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = Samuel Henry
|count1 = 2,321
|percentage = 34.37%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|candidate = Maurice Mills
|count1 = 1,338
|percentage = 19.81%
|count2 =
|count3 =
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Independent (politician)
|candidate = Patrick Burke
|count1 = 782
|percentage = 11.58%
|count2 = 823.18
|count3 = 826.54
|count4 = 903.82
|count5 = 907.82
|count6 = 955.46
|count7 = 967.36
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = R. L. D. Pinkerton
|count1 = 183
|percentage = 2.71%
|count2 = 555.94
|count3 = 574.98
|count4 = 579.58
|count5 = 625.38
|count6 = 653.44
|count7 = 912.32
|count8 = 1,065.32
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = David Thompson
|count1 = 357
|percentage = 5.29%
|count2 = 663.24
|count3 = 678.64
|count4 = 688.96
|count5 = 790.46
|count6 = 813.4
|count7 = 890.72
|count8 = 1,063.72
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|candidate = J. O'Mullan
|count1 = 505
|percentage = 7.48%
|count2 = 527.04
|count3 = 528.72
|count4 = 577.58
|count5 = 580.9
|count6 = 770.64
|count7 = 804.86
|count8 = 830.76
|count9 = ????
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Democratic Unionist Party
|candidate = H. S. Roulton
|count1 = 205
|percentage = 3.04%
|count2 = 266.48
|count3 = 574.2
|count4 = 584.22
|count5 = 594.58
|count6 = 597.86
|count7 = 617.8
|count8 = 694.34
|count9 = ????
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = J. D. Walker
|count1 = 275
|percentage = 4.07%
|count2 = 420
|count3 = 427
|count4 = 429.58
|count5 = 517.1
|count6 = 531.26
|count7 = 565.92
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = John Magaughin
|count1 = 129
|percentage = 1.91%
|count2 = 368.54
|count3 = 376.66
|count4 = 388
|count5 = 416.36
|count6 = 428.68
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Alliance Party of Northern Ireland
|candidate = Phyllis Doloughan
|count1 = 283
|percentage = 4.19%
|count2 = 297.5
|count3 = 298.06
|count4 = 339.34
|count5 = 346.36
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Ulster Unionist Party
|candidate = Dorothy Smith
|count1 = 165
|percentage = 2.44%
|count2 = 283.32
|count3 = 287.8
|count4 = 292.68
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
|candidate = S. McQuiston
|count1 = 111
|percentage = 1.64%
|count2 = 126.08
|count3 = 127.2
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box candidate2|
|party = Northern Ireland Labour Party
|candidate = J. A. Rooney
|count1 = 99
|percentage = 1.47%
|count2 = 99
|count3 = 100.96
|count4 =
|count5 =
|count6 =
|count7 =
|count8 =
|count9 =
}}
{{STV Election box end2
|numcounts = 9
|electorate = 10,323
|valid = 6,753 (65.42%)
|spoilt = 91
|quota = 965
|turnout = 6,844 (66.30%)
}}
- Data missing from stage 9
References
{{reflist}}
{{County Antrim elections}}
{{1973 United Kingdom local elections}}