The ward was a Labour stronghold as the party successfully held the seat at every election. Eric Ross was the only councillor elected as he represented the ward from 1984 to 2007.
The Cumnock East ward was created for the 1984 local elections by the Initial Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1981 from part of the former Cumnock Burgh ward. The ward took in the eastern part of Cumnock.[1] Following the Second Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements in 1994, the ward's northern boundary was moved north to take in more of Holmhead.[2] After the implementation of the Local Government etc. (Scotland) Act 1994, the boundaries proposed by the second review became the Formation Electoral Arrangements for the newly created East Ayrshire Council – an amalgamation of Cumnock and Doon Valley District Council and Kilmarnock and Loudoun District Council. In 1998, the Third Statutory Reviews of Electoral Arrangements mostly re-established the ward's original boundaries. The only change was to the southern boundary which included part of Wylie Crescent.[3] In 2007, the ward was abolished as the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004 saw proportional representation and new multi-member wards introduced. The area covered by the Cumnock East ward was placed into the new Cumnock and New Cumnock ward.[4]
^Rallings, Colin; Thrasher, Michael (2003). Local Elections Handbook 2003(PDF). Plymouth: Local Government Chronicle Elections Centre, University of Plymouth. ISBN0-948858-35-4. Retrieved 7 November 2022.