These were abolished as part of the 2009 structural changes to local government in England, which created a singular unitary authority.

There were also many issues that were pertinent to local voters in Cornwall, including the building of new houses, wind turbines, transportation infrastructure, jobs losses at the authority and the recent Council Tax freeze.

[10] The Liberal Democrats, trying to become the largest party within the council, focused its campaign on cutting economic waste and increasing investment in transport infrastructure.

[10][11] Mebyon Kernow highlighted the fact that they were an alternative to the parties and groupings that had made up previous UK government or Cornwall Council administrations.

[10] UKIP, wanting to be seen as increasingly relevant to domestic politics, not just within Europe campaigned on issues of opposing the wind farm project and youth unemployment, but still highlighting its anti-EU stance.

It is possible to register to vote at more than one address (such as a university student who had a term-time address and lives at home during holidays) at the discretion of the local Electoral Register Office, but it remains an offence to vote more than once in the same local government election.

[24][25] The Liberal Democrats reached out to all the other parties elected to Council, wanting to form a cross-party administration.

[26] The Conservatives decided not to join the alliance, after a lack of communication, therefore the Independents and Liberal Democrats formed a coalition administration with John Pollard of the Independents being elected leader of the council and the Liberal Democrats Jeremy Rowe as deputy leader.

[30] Brewer later resigned from Cornwall Council and the Liberal Democrat, Steve Knightley, won the subsequent by-election.

[31] The electoral division results listed below[32] are based on the changes from the 2009 elections,[33] not taking into account any mid-term by-elections or party defections.