1997–2010: The District of South Hams wards of Avon and Harbourne, Avonleigh, Dartington, Dartmouth Clifton, Dartmouth Hardness, Dart Valley, Eastmoor, Garabrook, Kingsbridge, Kingswear, Malborough, Marldon, Salcombe, Saltstone, Skerries, South Brent, Stoke Gabriel, Stokenham, Thurlestone, Totnes, Totnes Bridgetown, and West Dart, the Borough of Torbay wards of Blatchcombe, Furzeham with Churston, and St Peter's with St Mary's, and the District of Teignbridge wards of Ambrook, Ashburton, and Buckfastleigh.

2010–2024: The District of South Hams wards of Allington and Loddiswell, Avon and Harbourne, Dartington, Dartmouth and Kingswear, Dartmouth Townstal, East Dart, Eastmoor, Kingsbridge East, Kingsbridge North, Marldon, Salcombe and Malborough, Saltstone, Skerries, South Brent, Stokenham, Thurlestone, Totnes Bridgetown, Totnes Town, West Dart, and Westville and Alvington, and the Borough of Torbay wards of Berry Head with Furzeham, Blatchcombe, Churston with Galmpton, and St Mary's with Summercombe.

Post-1997 recreation, the seat was divided between the South Hams and Torbay council areas, with around 60% of the electorate residing in the former and 40% in the latter in its final form after the 2010 boundary changes.

[5] Despite the name of the constituency, the largest town in it was not Totnes but Brixham, a fishing port in the Torbay portion of the seat of around 17,000 people.

Totnes itself, a market town in South Hams of around 9,000 renowned for its alternative and "New Age" community, accounted for only around 10% of the voters in the constituency bearing its name.

[5] Workless claimants, registered jobseekers, were in November 2012 significantly lower than the national average of 3.8%, at 2.4% of the population based on a statistical compilation by The Guardian.

The political parties had been making preparations for an election to take place and by July 1914, the following candidates had been selected; On petition, Pender was unseated on 22 March 1866.