[1] County Leitrim is divided into 3 local electoral areas (LEAs) to elect councillors for a five-year term of office on the electoral system of proportional representation by means of the single transferable vote (PR-STV).

[2] The following councillors did not seek re-election:[3] Fianna Fáil retained 2 seats in each of the 3 LEAs to remain the largest party in Leitrim with 6 seats overall.

Fine Gael had a very bad election here losing 3 seats overall which was not helped by a large number of retirements.

The party lost both seats in Manorhamilton to Independent candidates to emerge without any representation and also lost another seat to Sinn Féin in Carrickonshannon.

Sinn Féin emerged with 4 seats overall to return to the position they held at the 2014 elections through also the gain of a second seat in Ballinamore and to become the second largest party after Fianna Fáil.