EU election vote counts

[swill453]

Have our votes been counted already, and the results kept under lock and key until Sunday after all polls in other EU countries close? Or don't they start to be counted until Sunday night?

Or something in-between?

Scott.

[Luniversal]

Have our votes been counted already, and the results kept under lock and key until Sunday after all polls in other EU countries close? Or don't they start to be counted until Sunday night?

Or something in-between?

Scott.

The count cannot begin until the polls close everywhere in the EU, i.e. 22.00 BST. While we wait, we will be regaled with the results of exit polls, which are also verboten before 22.00.

The first British result is likely to be from the NE Region, which has the smallest electorate. Moreover, its count is at Sunderland, whose council is the past master of fast totting-up in UK elections.

[Rhyd6]

I find it strange that there are reports that the ballot papers were counted face downwards as soon as the polls closed in order to get an idea of the percentage of votes cast. When we went to vote our names were crossed out on the voting register so surely it would have been easy to tot this up rather than open the boxes and fan the flames of conspiracy theories about vote tampering which are already floating around the internet.

R6

[BusyBumbleBee]

But, but, but : turnout figures are trickling out and seem remarkably low considering the angst over Brexit. Anyone got a link to a comprehensive list? Or is it like the rest of the EU stats viz "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma"?

PS, Rhyd6, must have crossed in the post - the first stage of every count is to count the ballot papers in the box - face down is unusual in the UK because the back of the paper contains the electors details and should not be visible to any observer such as a polling agent. I have had the pleasure of this role several times and you can tell the outcome quite quickly if you watch carefully

[johnhemming]

Last time there were local elections in some areas at the same time as the euro elections. However, the majority of potential voters are not bothered enough to vote in the euro elections.

Turnout for pure euroelections is however up from 2014

[DrBunsenHoneydew]

But, but, but : turnout figures are trickling out and seem remarkably low considering the angst over Brexit. Anyone got a link to a comprehensive list? Or is it like the rest of the EU stats viz "a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma"?

PS, Rhyd6, must have crossed in the post - the first stage of every count is to count the ballot papers in the box - face down is unusual in the UK because the back of the paper contains the electors details and should not be visible to any observer such as a polling agent. I have had the pleasure of this role several times and you can tell the outcome quite quickly if you watch carefully

The turnout Data is here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1jnL1rfgfMgf_fpdzLCGQpnmKjV5n3GngVSXrGQqwD1E/edit#gid=0

Where the turnout has been higher than Euro2014, the constituency is more likely to be a Ref2016 Remain area.

[johnhemming]

I find it strange that there are reports that the ballot papers were counted face downwards as soon as the polls closed in order to get an idea of the percentage of votes cast.

It's the verification count to check the number of ballot papers in the box against the number handed out. Which can vary for a number of reasons.

[Rhyd6]

Thanks johnhemming, that makes sense.

R6

[mike]

We won't have to stay up too late tonight. Results are expected from 10:30pm onwards, and all finished by 2am except for Scotland

https://twitter.com/ElectionMapsUK/status/1132672926766051329

[didds]

I find it strange that there are reports that the ballot papers were counted face downwards as soon as the polls closed in order to get an idea of the percentage of votes cast. When we went to vote our names were crossed out on the voting register so surely it would have been easy to tot this up rather than open the boxes and fan the flames of conspiracy theories about vote tampering which are already floating around the internet.

R6

indeed. Which suggests the rumours are

* from people that dont have much of an understanding
* returning officers that don't have much of a braincell

didds

[didds]

the first stage of every count is to count the ballot papers in the box - face down is unusual in the UK because the back of the paper contains the electors details

i don't doubt BBB itself... but my polling paper was torn off the first in a anew pad of poling papers... i dint look but there was "no time" I'd say to then append my polling number/whatever to it?

didds

[DrBunsenHoneydew]

the first stage of every count is to count the ballot papers in the box - face down is unusual in the UK because the back of the paper contains the electors details

i don't doubt BBB itself... but my polling paper was torn off the first in a anew pad of poling papers... i dint look but there was "no time" I'd say to then append my polling number/whatever to it?

didds

My voting paper had a serial number on the back.
The administrator wrote my Electoral Roll Number taken from my Polling Card against that Serial Number in a Register.
Anyone with the requisite authority could match my paper vote to my identity quite easily.

[johnhemming]

There has always been a system which enables tracking back an individual's vote, but it requires a court order to access the information. If an election petition is issued and votes are challenged and found to be disqualified they can be removed from the election.

[chas49]

Have our votes been counted already, and the results kept under lock and key until Sunday after all polls in other EU countries close? Or don't they start to be counted until Sunday night?

Or something in-between?

Scott.

The count cannot begin until the polls close everywhere in the EU, i.e. 22.00 BST. While we wait, we will be regaled with the results of exit polls, which are also verboten before 22.00.

The first British result is likely to be from the NE Region, which has the smallest electorate. Moreover, its count is at Sunderland, whose council is the past master of fast totting-up in UK elections.

BBC local news (East) has just shown counting in progress. It wasn't stock footage, the reporter was explaining that results can't come out till all polls closed across Europe, and people were counting ballot papers behind him

[didds]

My voting paper had a serial number on the back.
The administrator wrote my Electoral Roll Number taken from my Polling Card against that Serial Number in a Register.
Anyone with the requisite authority could match my paper vote to my identity quite easily.

ah - yes. Gotcha. Indeed.


didds

[gryffron]

From a council worker friend involved in the count...
The votes were checked and sorted on Friday. All the spoilt ballots and dubious votes were sorted out at that point (which might explain the discrepancy with papers issued). Then the piles of already sorted votes were locked in a cupboard, and nobody was allowed to count them until 10pm Sunday.

Couldn't they guess from the size of the piles? - Well, yes, a bit. Although they were sorted on a per-ward basis so you wouldn't get the whole result from any one pile.

Gryff

[BusyBumbleBee]

the first stage of every count is to count the ballot papers in the box - face down is unusual in the UK because the back of the paper contains the electors details

i don't doubt BBB itself... but my polling paper was torn off the first in a anew pad of poling papers... i dint look but there was "no time" I'd say to then append my polling number/whatever to it? didds

Sorry I should have pointed out that Postal Ballot papers contain a lot of detail on the back - and now account for a substantial number of the ballot papers in a box.