A ward is a subdivision of a local authority area, typically used for electoral purposes. Wards are usually named after neighbourhoods, thoroughfares, parishes, landmarks, geographical features and in some cases historical figures connected to the area. It is common in the United States for wards to simply be numbered.

In Australia, Canada, Monaco, New Zealand, South Africa, the United Kingdom, and the United States they are an electoral district within a district or municipality, used in local government elections. In the United States, wards are usually subdivided into precincts for polling purposes.

In the Republic of Ireland, urban Wards and rural District Electoral Divisions were renamed Electoral Divisions in 1994.^[1] The electoral districts for local authorities are often popularly called "wards". These consist of multiple electoral divisions, and are officially called "local electoral areas".^[2]

In the case of a municipal amalgamation, the former cities and towns that make up the new metropolis may be referred to as wards.

• In certain cities of India, like Mumbai and Delhi, a ward is an administrative unit of the city region, a city area is divided into Zones, which in turn contains numerous wards.^[3][4]
• In Japan, a ward (ku or 区 in Japanese) is an administrative unit of one of the larger cities.
• In Vietnam, a ward (phường) is an administrative subunit of an inner city district (quận).
• A ward in Nepal is a political division. Nine wards make up a village development committee (VDC); VDCs make districts; districts makes zones; and zones (regions) make up the country.
• In parts of northern England, a ward was a sub-entity of a county, equivalent to a hundred.

See also

• Wards of Canada
  • Wards of the City of Ottawa
• Wards of Japan
• Wards and electoral divisions of the United Kingdom
  • Wards of the City of London
• Wards of the United States
  • For more controversial/negative practices often associated with ward politics, also see political machine.
• Wards of Tanzania

References