Rutherglen South is one of the twenty wards used to elect members of the South Lanarkshire Council. Established in 2007, it elects three councillors. The largest neighbourhood within the suburban ward is Burnside, also including the Blairbeth, Cathkin, Fernhill, High Burnside, Springhall and Spittal neighbourhoods in the southern part of Rutherglen. The western border is the long-established division with the City of Glasgow. A 2017 national boundary review removed some streets to the north of the ward (around Overtoun Park, Dryburgh Avenue and Limeside Avenue), but added several of the streets in its east (those off East Kilbride Road, Brownside Road and Dukes Road). The population in 2018 was 15,340.