ENGLAND — Reform UK candidates listed first on the ballot paper topped their party's vote in 74% of wards where the party fielded three candidates in recent English local elections, according to an analysis of the results. Fewer than 8% of Reform UK candidates listed last among their party colleagues finished ahead of their slate.

Across all parties, ballot position correlated with vote performance. In wards where a party stood three candidates, those listed first finished ahead of their party colleagues in 2,200 cases, or 65% of such contests, while those listed third topped their party's slate in 382 cases, or 11%. A total of 864 wards had at least one party standing three candidates. The system used across local elections varies depending on the council, with most urban areas electing three councillors per ward and some rural areas electing fewer.

The Green Party had the second-strongest relationship between candidate ballot-list position and vote performance, followed by the Labour Party. Across all wards, candidates with surnames near the start of the alphabet slightly outperformed their party's average vote share, while those with surnames starting with W, Y or Z underperformed.

In the Queen's Gate ward in Kensington and Chelsea, Reform UK candidates Noble, Walker and Zhong received 120, 115 and 102 votes respectively. Juliet Zhong, who stood unsuccessfully for Reform UK in the borough, called for a change to how ballots are presented.

"It would surely be more logical for voters to see candidates classified by their party rather than playing a game of 'find the surname'. This would ensure a level playing field, regardless of whether a party is perched at the top or relegated to the bottom of the list," Zhong said.

Nick Abear, who was elected as a Green Party councillor for Redhill West & Meadvale Ward in East Surrey, received more votes than his Green Party colleague Elly Heaton. He questioned whether ballot order influenced outcomes.

"I hadn't really considered it because I think most people know who (or which party) they are going to vote for in advance of voting. The thought of someone turning up to vote and thinking: 'I'll just stick my X on the top line' seems unlikely," Abear said.

Andy Adams, elected as a Liberal Democrat councillor in Winchester, said: "I have heard of this alleged effect before and I always regale staff at polling stations with it as I visit as the candidate, joking that I am living proof that it is by no means always true." He added: "I would probably support randomising ballot papers in principle even if I would not stand to gain from such an innovation." Adams also said: "My husband is a Wiggins and whilst we decided not to double-barrel, if he were interested in politics then he would be well advised to become an Adams-Wiggins, or so it seems."