Ward (electoral subdivision)

A ward is a local government area, mostly used for elections.

In some countries, wards are given names. It is common in the United States for wards to simply be numbered. In Ireland they are called electoral divisions. In Australia, some local government areas (LGAs) have wards; some of them are numbered and others have names. Most Australian wards elect multiple members, but some (such as those of the Brisbane City Council) elect only one member per ward.

The word "ward" seems have first been used in the City of London in the the 11th century. There are now 25 wards there, all very small.

By country

Australia

In Australia, some local government areas (LGAs) have wards. Most of these are multi-member wards, but some are single-member wards. Some wards are named, while others are numbered. Most LGAs that have wards are in cities.

The Brisbane City Council, the council that governs the City of Brisbane (the LGA representing most of Brisbane) but acting rather like a state parliament, has 26 single-member wards. These wards elect 26 of the 27 councillors; the remaining seat is held by the Lord Mayor who is directly elected.

Japan

See the main article: Wards of Japan

United Kingdom

The Local Government Boundary Commissions change the wards quite often, especially in cities, to try and keep the numbers fair. This can make it hard to keep track of statistics over time.