Bedfordshire County Council was elected every four years. Luton was administered by the county council until 1997, when it became a unitary authority. Bedfordshire County Council was abolished in 2009, when unitary councils were introduced across the rest of Bedfordshire. Services which prior to 2009 were provided by Bedfordshire County Council are now provided by either Bedford Borough Council or Central Bedfordshire Council.
The county council was created in 1889, with elections held every three years (except during the World Wars). Significant reforms in 1974 under the Local Government Act 1972 saw a new council elected in 1973 which took office from 1 April 1974 when those reforms came into effect. The election results (excluding by-elections) from 1973 until the council's abolition were as follows:[1]
| Year | Seats | Conservative | Labour | Liberal Democrats | Independent / other | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1973 | 83 | 32 | 39 | 9 | 3 | ||
| 1977 | 83 | 75 | 5 | 2 | 1 | ||
| 1981 | 83 | 40 | 34 | 8 | 1 | ||
| 1985 | 73 | 30 | 29 | 14 | 0 | New division boundaries.[2] | |
| 1989 | 73 | 35 | 27 | 11 | 0 | ||
| 1993 | 73 | 28 | 31 | 13 | 1 | ||
| 1997 | 49 | 25 | 14 | 10 | 0 | Luton removed from county council's area.[3] | |
| 2001 | 49 | 26 | 13 | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2005 | 52 | 36 | 7 | 9 | 0 | New division boundaries.[4] | |