| Flag Image: | File:Coat of arms of Moray Area Council.svg |
| Previous Year: | 1999 |
| Next Election: | 2007 Moray Council election |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Seats For Election: | All 26 seats to Moray Council |
| Majority Seats: | 14 |
| Next Year: | 2007 |
| Previous Election: | 1999 Moray Council election |
| Party1: | Independent |
| Party2: | Scottish Labour |
| Party3: | Scottish National Party |
| Party4: | Scottish Liberal Democrats |
| Party5: | Scottish Conservatives |
| Popular Vote1: | 14,084 |
| Percentage1: | 49.3% |
| Popular Vote2: | 3,622 |
| Percentage2: | 12.7% |
| Percentage3: | 25.2% |
| Popular Vote3: | 7,194 |
| Percentage4: | 7.9% |
| Popular Vote4: | 2,250 |
| Percentage5: | 4.3% |
| Popular Vote5: | 1,229 |
| Seats1: | 16 |
| Seats2: | 5 |
| Seats3: | 3 |
| Seats4: | 1 |
| Seats5: | 1 |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Swing1: | 12.4% |
| Seat Change1: | 1 |
| Seat Change2: | 1 |
| Swing2: | 7.8% |
| Swing3: | 5.2% |
| Seat Change3: | 1 |
| Swing4: | 0.4% |
| Seat Change4: | 1 |
| Swing5: | 0.5% |
Elections to the Moray Council were held on 1 May 2003, the same day as the other Scottish local government elections and the Scottish Parliament general election. This was the last election to use the first-past-the-post voting system across 26 single member wards.
The 1999 election to the Moray Council saw the Independent group on the council expand by 13 seats, with the SNP losing 11. It is of note that the number of seats grew from 18 in 1995 to 26 in 1999.
| Independent | 15 | 36.9% | |
| Labour | 6 | 20.5% | |
| SNP | 2 | 30.4% | |
| Liberal Democrat | 2 | 8.3% | |
| Conservative | 1 | 3.8% |
On 1 July 2004 a by-election was held in the Buckie West ward after the death of Independent councillor Bill Jappy.[4] It was won by Independent candidate Joseph Mackay.
Source:[5]
On 12 August 2004 a by-election was held in the Speyside ward.[6]
On 11 November 2004 a by-election was held in the Speyside ward.