# 1973 Down District Council election

Elections to Down District Council were held on 30 May 1973 on the same day as the other Northern Irish local government elections. The election used three district electoral areas to elect a total of 20 councillors.

## Election results

| Party | Party | Seats | First Pref. votes | FPv% | ±% |
| | UUP | 8 | 8,930 | 38.6% | |
| | SDLP | 8 | 8,101 | 35.0% | |
| | Alliance | 2 | 2,847 | 12.3% | |
| | Independent | 1 | 1,639 | 7.1% | |
| | Vanguard | 1 | 1,046 | 4.5% | |
| | Republican Clubs | 0 | 563 | 2.4% | |
| Totals | Totals | 20 | 23,126 | 100.0% | — |

## Districts summary

Results of the Down District Council election, 1973 by district :
| Ward | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | % | Cllrs | Total Cllrs |
| Ward | UUP | UUP | SDLP | SDLP | Alliance | Alliance | Vanguard | Vanguard | Others | Others | | Total Cllrs |
| Area A | 53.9 | 4 | 19.8 | 1 | 11.5 | 1 | 12.8 | 1 | 2.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Area B | 23.7 | 1 | 45.4 | 3 | 15.4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 15.5 | 0 | 6 |
| Area C | 36.3 | 3 | 41.3 | 4 | 10.4 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 12.0 | 0 | 7 |
| Total | 38.6 | 8 | 35.0 | 8 | 12.3 | 2 | 4.5 | 1 | 9.6 | 1 | 20 |

## Districts results
### Area A

1973: 4 x UUP, 1 x SDLP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Vanguard
Down Area A - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
| | UUP | Edward McVeigh | 13.51% | 1,099 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Vanguard | John Cleland | 12.86% | 1,046 | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick Smyth | 12.34% | 1,004 | 1,004 | 1,018 | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | Samuel Osborne | 8.35% | 679 | 685.16 | 694.3 | 695.37 | 698.37 | 706.44 | 708.64 | 1,125.64 | | |
| | Alliance | Denis Rowan-Hamilton | 5.46% | 444 | 445.12 | 455.47 | 532.54 | 560.54 | 864.75 | 865.11 | 895.2 | 899.88 | 1,173.88 |
| | UUP | William Finlay | 9.77% | 795 | 801.23 | 812.51 | 820.51 | 822.51 | 834.51 | 838.83 | 872.1 | 896.02 | 903.09 |
| | UUP | William Cochrane | 8.43% | 686 | 695.45 | 709.66 | 713.73 | 714.73 | 725.8 | 730.26 | 820.72 | 874.28 | 883.28 |
| | UUP | Ben Dickson | 6.61% | 538 | 583.43 | 612.13 | 617.27 | 618.27 | 627.55 | 632.71 | 664.49 | 687.11 | 694.11 |
| | SDLP | Francis Laverty | 4.08% | 332 | 332.35 | 360.42 | 364.42 | 607.42 | 642.42 | 642.44 | 642.44 | 642.44 | |
| | UUP | Edward Lennon | 7.23% | 588 | 592.13 | 599.27 | 600.27 | 601.27 | 610.34 | 613.08 | | | |
| | Alliance | Christopher Gotto | 3.52% | 286 | 286.63 | 298.63 | 399.7 | 407.7 | | | | | |
| | SDLP | D. Rice | 3.42% | 278 | 278.07 | 282.07 | 296.07 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Alison Morton | 2.48% | 202 | 202.35 | 217.42 | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | I. Jess | 1.95% | 159 | 161.31 | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 12,148 Valid: 8,136 (66.97%) Spoilt: 101 Quota: 1,018 Turnout: 8,237 (67.81%) ||||||||||||||

### Area B

1973: 3 x SDLP, 1 x UUP, 1 x Alliance, 1 x Independent
Down Area B - 6 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 |
| | SDLP | Eddie McGrady | 17.51% | 1,246 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | William Hampton | 15.45% | 1,099 | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | John Ritchie | 7.01% | 499 | 563.08 | 567.91 | 577.62 | 584.12 | 637.02 | 656.8 | 922.12 | 1,078.12 |
| | Alliance | Terence McKee | 6.42% | 457 | 470.5 | 491.57 | 555.86 | 692.93 | 714.12 | 963.84 | 992.08 | 1,033.08 |
| | SDLP | Dermot Curran | 8.14% | 579 | 600.6 | 610.61 | 621.83 | 633.47 | 706.44 | 723.36 | 813.22 | 1,018.22 |
| | UUP | Cecil Maxwell | 12.69% | 903 | 905.7 | 909.55 | 912.62 | 924.62 | 927.72 | 946.29 | 949.82 | 975.45 |
| | UUP | Martin Lowe | 11.03% | 785 | 785.18 | 786.58 | 788.58 | 798.58 | 800.65 | 809.72 | 813.72 | 823.97 |
| | SDLP | Owen Adams | 4.12% | 293 | 363.38 | 369.4 | 372.15 | 380.19 | 450.29 | 473.65 | 531.57 | |
| | SDLP | Daniel Sharvin | 5.10% | 363 | 378.66 | 381.46 | 383.6 | 386.67 | 438.09 | 454.61 | | |
| | Alliance | Brendan Rodgers | 3.20% | 228 | 237.72 | 245.56 | 298.49 | 370.09 | 376.29 | | | |
| | SDLP | Aidan Laverty | 3.54% | 252 | 268.92 | 276.97 | 282.12 | 287.12 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Elsie Flinn | 3.06% | 218 | 219.44 | 222.52 | 269.74 | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Patrick McFarlane | 2.71% | 193 | 220.2 | 204.05 | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 9,757 Valid: 7,115 (72.92%) Spoilt: 104 Quota: 1,017 Turnout: 7,219 (73.99%) |||||||||||||

### Area C

1973: 4 x SDLP, 3 x UUP
Down Area C - 7 seats :
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count | Count |
| Party | Party | Candidate | FPv% | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 |
| | UUP | William McCombe | 19.45% | 1,532 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | UUP | John Beck | 12.95% | 1,020 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | SDLP | Patrick O'Donoghue | 7.97% | 628 | 628 | 629 | 629.03 | 632.03 | 637.03 | 646.03 | 655.03 | 660.03 | 668.03 | 736.03 | 751.39 | 778.39 | 999.39 | | |
| | SDLP | S. Fitzpatrick | 8.10% | 638 | 638.72 | 638.72 | 638.75 | 638.75 | 647.75 | 648.75 | 655.75 | 658.75 | 659.75 | 681.75 | 696.75 | 785.75 | 914.75 | 1,023.75 | |
| | SDLP | Jarlath Carey | 7.35% | 579 | 580.44 | 580.44 | 580.65 | 581.65 | 584.65 | 585.65 | 593.65 | 600.65 | 603.65 | 625.65 | 648.65 | 778.65 | 837.65 | 930.65 | 960.86 |
| | UUP | Robert Thompson | 3.87% | 305 | 823.4 | 823.4 | 850.46 | 850.46 | 850.49 | 852.52 | 860.08 | 860.08 | 861.53 | 872.98 | 882.18 | 882.18 | 883.18 | 884.18 | 884.18 |
| | SDLP | Dan Rice | 7.72% | 608 | 608 | 609 | 609.09 | 610.45 | 612.45 | 612.45 | 616.45 | 624.45 | 625.45 | 627.45 | 635.45 | 761.48 | 782.51 | 868.51 | 874.78 |
| | Alliance | Anthony Dickinson | 5.27% | 415 | 430.12 | 430.12 | 431.59 | 431.59 | 431.59 | 434.59 | 449.95 | 449.95 | 539.45 | 579.62 | 795.4 | 802.4 | 805.43 | 823.43 | 825.14 |
| | Republican Clubs | Edward O'Hagan | 3.82% | 301 | 301.36 | 304.36 | 304.36 | 327.36 | 352.36 | 362.36 | 369.36 | 473.36 | 475.36 | 506.36 | 514.36 | 519.39 | 541.39 | | |
| | SDLP | James McClean | 5.46% | 430 | 430.36 | 431.36 | 431.42 | 435.42 | 436.42 | 440.45 | 441.45 | 466.45 | 471.45 | 487.45 | 490.45 | 500.45 | | | |
| | SDLP | M. Fitzpatrick | 4.72% | 372 | 372 | 373 | 373.06 | 374.06 | 374.06 | 374.06 | 376.06 | 379.06 | 383.06 | 391.06 | 404.06 | | | | |
| | Alliance | Gerald McCormick | 2.82% | 222 | 223.8 | 223.8 | 224.04 | 224.04 | 224.04 | 224.04 | 227.46 | 229.46 | 294.82 | 320.82 | | | | | |
| | Independent | Joseph Keenan | 2.36% | 186 | 187.08 | 187.08 | 187.17 | 188.17 | 189.17 | 210.56 | 259.59 | 262.59 | 278.62 | | | | | | |
| | Alliance | Danny Goodman | 2.31% | 182 | 184.16 | 184.16 | 184.46 | 184.46 | 184.46 | 191.46 | 196.85 | 197.85 | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Patrick Sloan | 1.46% | 115 | 115 | 123 | 123 | 139 | 175 | 176 | 176 | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Richard Hall | 1.40% | 110 | 112.88 | 112.88 | 113.24 | 113.24 | 113.24 | 127.24 | | | | | | | | | |
| | Independent | Hughes | 1.08% | 85 | 85.36 | 85.36 | 85.45 | 85.45 | 85.45 | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | Anthony Small | 0.95% | 75 | 75.72 | 76.72 | 76.78 | 82.78 | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | McCusker | 0.70% | 55 | 55.36 | 56.36 | 56.36 | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| | Republican Clubs | John Sloane | 0.22% | 17 | 17 | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
| Electorate: 10,845 Valid: 7,875 (72.61%) Spoilt: 156 Quota: 985 Turnout: 8,031 (74.05%) ||||||||||||||||||||