General Election in Sussex: What happens when the polls close?

According to the House of Commons Library: “Sealed ballot boxes will be transported to where the votes will be counted. Those venues, often town halls or sports centres, will be used to count the ballots and declare the election result.”

Count venues may be used for one constituency, or more – such as The Triangle, in Burgess Hill, which is hosting the counts for Mid Sussex and the new East Grinstead & Uckfield constituency, and Worthing Leisure Centre, where the counts for Worthing West and East Worthing & Shoreham will take place.

The House of Commons Library says: “When the boxes get to the counting centre they are unsealed, and the ballot papers are first counted to check that the number delivered matches the number sent from the polling station. This is known as verification.

“Ballot papers from a ballot box are mixed with those from at least one other, including postal votes, to help preserve the secrecy of the vote. Votes are then sorted by candidate. Ballots for each candidate are placed in bundles and their number checked by more than one counting assistant. Ballots should be kept face up at all times. This prevents anyone seeing the ballot paper number and ensures the count is transparent for agents and observers. Rejected votes are excluded and the ballots are then counted.

“When all the ballots have been counted and any rejected votes have been added together and checked against the total number of ballot papers from the first stage of the count, the returning officer shares the provisional result with candidates and their agents.

“A candidate can ask for a recount if a result is close, or a candidate is close to losing their deposit. A candidate loses their deposit if they poll five per cent of the vote or less. The returning officer decides whether or not to hold a recount.”

The final result is announced by the returning officer, who makes a public declaration of the candidate with the most votes for their constituency.

The House of Commons Library says: “Returning officers are required to give public notice of the result including details of the name of the winning candidate, the votes for each candidate and the number of rejected ballots. This statement can also include the percentage turnout and the number of electors, but not all do so.

“The returning officer must give the total number of votes for each candidate for the whole constituency and no breakdowns of results by smaller areas, such as wards, are available.

“Each returning officer is responsible for results in their area. These are usually reported on the relevant local authority website(s). But the exact form varies. Where the number of the votes for each candidate is reported online, there can be differences in whether on-the-day electorate and invalid votes are detailed.”