Since the last election in 2022, the council has been led by a Conservative minority administration which took office with support from two independent councillors and abstentions from Labour.

This is a largely ceremonial role, chairing council meetings and acting as the area's first citizen.

Since 2007 elections have been held every five years under the single transferable vote system, introduced by the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004.

Election results since 1995 have been as follows:[4] The council is based at County Buildings on Wellington Square in Ayr, which had been built in 1931 as the headquarters for the old Ayrshire County Council, being an extension to the older Sheriff Court built in 1818.

Burns House was subsequently demolished in 2021, creating a new open space, landscaped with funding from the Scottish Government.