Created in 2017, the ward elects three councillors using the single transferable vote electoral system and covers an area with a population of 10,887 people.

The area has been politically split with each election returning one Scottish National Party (SNP), one Labour and one Conservative councillor.

The ward was created following the Fifth Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements ahead of the 2017 Scottish local elections.

Irvine South was one of three new wards created in North Ayrshire as the total number of councillors was increased to more evenly balance electoral parity in the region.

[2] Following the implementation of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018, the boundaries in North Ayrshire were reviewed but this did not affect the Irvine wards.