What happens after local election voting closes and when will results be announced?

LocalPolitics
8 May 2026 • 4:51 AM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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What happens after local election voting closes and when will results be announced?

  • Polling stations will close across the country at 10pm. Of the 136 local authorities in England holding elections, 46 are due to count and declare results overnight.
  • 1am - 3am, Friday: Councils with large majorities, such as Conservative-held Broxbourne and Labour-controlled Halton, are both due to declare around this time. Hartlepool and Lincoln, where Labour are defending majorities, are set to declare around 2am.
  • 3am - 5am: Salford should finish counting around this time. At around 3.30am, Westminster is due to be the first London council to finish counting. Hampshire is set to be the first county council to complete its declarations, while in London, a full set of results is due from Ealing (Labour), Sutton (Lib Dems) and Wandsworth (Labour). Newcastle is also expected to finish during this period.
  • 5am: Among the authorities counting overnight still left to declare are six London councils: Bexley, Hammersmith & Fulham, Havering, Kensington & Chelsea, Merton, and Richmond upon Thames.
  • 9am: Counting gets under way for the parliamentary elections in Scotland and Wales, for 86 local authorities in England, and for the six mayoral contests.

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