7am to 10pm
Opening hours of the polling booths.
40,000 (at least)
The total number of polling booths. The Electoral Commission does not keep a precise tally, as they are organised by local authorities, but the figure is usually somewhere a bit above 40,000.
5.5m
The total number of general election votes received by post in 2010.
1,200
The approximate number of people left unable to vote at 27 polling stations around the country at the 2010 election, despite getting there before the 10pm closing times, according to a subsequent Electoral Commission report. Such queues of angry people left unable to vote should not happen this time – the law was changed in 2013 to mean anyone queuing by 10pm will be allowed to vote, however long it takes.
2,500
The maximum total number of voters per polling station, according to Electoral Commission recommendations. Part of the 2010 queues were due to some polling stations having to process many more people, something that should have been addressed this time.
650
The total number of parliamentary seats being contested – 533 constituencies in England, 59 in Scotland, 40 in Wales and 18 in Northern Ireland. All will be contested, even the Buckingham seat of the Commons Speaker, Conservative John Bercow. While Labour and the Liberal Democrats will not fight the seat under convention, he faces challengers from the Greens and Ukip. While the final numbers have yet to be released for this election, in 2010 voters had a choice of 4,150 parliamentary candidates, representing 135 parties.
280
The number of elections taking place for unitary, district and local councils alongside the general election, as well as for six directly elected mayors: Bedford, Copeland in Cumbria, Leicester, Mansfield in Nottinghamshire, Middlesbrough and Torbay in Devon.
65.1%
The overall elector turnout in 2010, a figure that could be exceeded this time, given the tightness of the election. In 2010, 29.7m valid votes were cast, with constituency turnout ranging from a whopping 77% in Renfrewshire to a paltry 44% in Manchester Central.
£80 to £200
The approximate election night fee for the staff who run the whole process. Each polling station has a presiding officer, who organises the layout, supervises clerks and make sure the voting process runs smoothly. They are appointed by the constituency’s acting returning officer, or ARO. By convention, the returning officer proper is a largely ceremonial role, often held by a mayor, whose main role is to formally receive the writ for the election.
1
The number of pirates seeking election who were allowed to vote in costume in 2010. Usually, overt displays of party affiliation are among the things prohibited at polling stations. However, officers at the Cities of London and Westminster constituency allowed Mad Cap’n Tom, standing as an independent pirate, to vote in costume. Confusingly, his 84 votes were beaten by the 90 votes won by the candidate for the Pirate Party UK. You also cannot have political discussions within the polling station. But you can bring your child or your dog, so long as they are not disruptive.
11pm
The estimated time for the first constituency to declare, expected to be Houghton and Sunderland South. Most constituencies take much longer – the bulk are expected between 2am and 6am, although St Ives will not be declareduntil about 1pm on Friday. But the process is the same everywhere. Once 10pm strikes – or slightly later, if there are remaining queues – the ballot boxes will be sealed and they, along with the postal vote boxes, will be sent to the location of the count. Some count venues tally the votes from more than one constituency.
Once the boxes arrive, staff count the postal ballots to make sure they match the figure recorded by the ARO. They then count polling station papers to ensure the number matches that of the ballots given out according to each presiding officer’s record. Once this is done, the workers sort ballot papers by candidate and begin the count. A provisional result is usually passed first to the candidates and their agents – this is usually the moment when it is leaked to supporters and the media – who can decide, if things are close, to seek a recount. The ARO can refuse a request if it is seen as frivolous. Once everyone is satisfied, the ARO – more often than not standing uncomfortably close to a beaming, comedy hat-wearing joke candidate – makes the formal announcement to a barrage of cheers.
415
The number of official outside observers for the 2010 election including, for the first time, groups from overseas, taking in countries as diverse as Albania, Australia, Lesotho and Mexico, as well as the OSCE. These observers “highlighted the culture of trust and honesty that underpinned the May 2010 election process”, the Electoral Commission said with pride.
