All 49 councillors of East Sussex County Council were elected from 44 electoral divisions, which return either one or two councillors each by first-past-the-post voting for a four-year term of office.

No elections were held in Brighton and Hove, which is a unitary authority outside the area covered by the County Council.

Those who were temporarily away from their ordinary address (for example, away working, on holiday, in student accommodation or in hospital) were also entitled to vote in the local elections,[2] although those who had moved abroad and registered as overseas electors cannot vote in the local elections.

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.

[3] At this election, the Conservative Party was seeking to retain overall control of the council, previously having a majority of four seats, and the Liberal Democrats to maintain or better their position of 13 seats.