Before (end of 1985) (55 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 31 · Conservative 17 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 6 · Labour 1
After (end of 1986) (55 seats, Elections Centre)
Other 34 · Conservative 11 · SDP-Liberal Alliance 8 · Labour 2
Ward results
Beaminister1 seat · turnout 46.6%
| E. Smalley | Independent | 474 |
| R. Bugler | Independent | 428 |
| J. Hardman | Lib/Sdp | 401 |
Bothenhampton1 seat · turnout 52.2%
| D. Cracknell | Ind Con | 440 |
| I. Kent | Lib/Sdp | 344 |
Bradford Abbas1 seat · turnout 43.9%
| E. Garrett | Independent | 500 |
| B. Berry | Labour | 89 |
Bridport North1 seat · turnout 43.1%
| R. Wilkinson | Labour | 542 |
| D. Stebbings | Conservative | 498 |
| C. Harris | Lib/Sdp | 341 |
Cerne Valley1 seat · turnout 51.8%
| B. Stenhouse | Independent | 508 |
| J. Pope | Labour | 49 |
Chickerell1 seat · turnout 31.6%
| J. Biggs | Lib/Sdp | 299 ✓ |
| P. Brown | Conservative | 265 |
| E. Edwards-Stuart | Independent | 241 |
| J. Dickenson | Labour | 137 |
Dorchester East1 seat · turnout 40.9%
| D. Smith | Lib/Sdp | 466 |
| C. Lucas | Conservative | 326 |
| L. Adams | Labour | 137 |
Dorchester North1 seat · turnout 41.6%
| J. Lock | Conservative | 441 |
| A. Goss | Lib/Sdp | 318 |
| J. Hertslet | Labour | 181 |
Dorchester South1 seat · turnout 47.9%
| D. Maggs | Lib/Sdp | 875 |
| R. Burrage | Conservative | 751 |
| T. Warren | Labour | 173 |
Dorchester West1 seat · turnout 62.5%
| T. Jones | Lib/Sdp | 688 |
| G. Duke | Conservative | 520 |
| D. Watson | Labour | 491 |
Lyme Regis1 seat
| D. Applebee | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Netherbury1 seat · turnout 45.1%
| J. Peake | Conservative | 451 |
| T. Weld | Labour | 151 |
Owermoigne1 seat
| R. Symes | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Queen Thorne1 seat · turnout 47.6%
| J. Brewer | Independent | 447 |
| A. Birks-Hay | Labour | 95 |
Sherborne East1 seat · turnout 48.1%
| E. Dyke | Independent | 566 |
| A. Graham | Lib/Sdp | 444 |
| G. Faddy | Labour | 258 |
Sherborne West1 seat · turnout 46.7%
| S. Waddington | Conservative | 776 |
| L. Lewis | Lib/Sdp | 574 |
| G. Danes | Labour | 425 |
Winterbourne St. Martin1 seat
| S. Slade | Independent | 0 ✓ |
Yetminster1 seat · turnout 62.2%
| J. Meaden | Independent | 437 |
| S. King | Lib/Sdp | 277 |
| W. Dean | Labour | 35 |