Clacton By-election Votes Being Counted As Result Expected Overnight

Clacton by-election Votes being counted as result expected overnight Votes are being counted in the Clacton by-election, with the result expected in the early hours of Friday morning.

Polling closed at 22:00 BST on Thursday after voters were asked to choose from a record 34 candidates standing for the parliamentary seat. The unusually large ballot paper is expected to make the count more time-consuming than usual. The by-election was triggered after Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, resigned as Clacton’s MP in July and subsequently decided to stand again. Farage won the constituency at the 2024 general election with 21,225 votes, securing 46.2% of the vote. This contest has attracted particular attention because the major established parties did not field candidates. Among those challenging Farage is satirical candidate Count Binface, who has emerged as one of the most prominent alternative candidates in the race. The count is taking place overnight, with expectations that the declaration could come in the early hours of Friday. Reports suggest the result may not be known until around dawn because of the size of the ballot and the number of candidates.