THE Clacton by-election campaign is almost over, but when should we expect the result?
There are 34 candidates on the ballot paper – which is nearly a metre long – making it the biggest in parliamentary history when it comes to those standing for a Westminster seat.
However, the length of the ballot paper might make it a little bit longer than usual for the final result to come in.
After polling booths close at 10pm on Thursday, August 13, the vote count will begin.
Counters in Clacton will be using bigger table areas to allow the long ballot papers to be verified at Clacton Leisure Centre.
The first ballot boxes are expected to arrive around 10 minutes after polls close, but with the constituency consisting of seaside towns and rural villages the last boxes should arrive by 10.30pm.
There are 79,785 people registered to vote in the by-election, and of those, 10,716 have already received a postal vote.
The Clacton by-election has broken the record for the most candidates standing in an election, the most independent candidates standing – there are 20 – and the longest ballot paper.
At the 2024 General Election, the result for Clacton was announced at around 4am. However, there were only nine candidates standing then.
This by-election result is expected between 5am and 7am because the count process is expected to be slower due to the size of the ballot paper.
The result will also be announced on the count floor rather than on stage due to the number of candidates who would fit on it.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage triggered the by-election after he resigned as an MP in protest at the scrutiny he was receiving from the media and parliament over donations.
The main Westminster parties are boycotting the by-election, dismissing it as a stunt by Farage.
Full list of Clacton by-election candidates
- Joseph 77 (Independent)
- Adham Alkhatip (The Forward Party)
- Count Binface (Count Binface Party)
- Nick The Incredible Flying Brick (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party)
- Tony Cane (Independent)
- Woke Trump Carrzee (Independent)
- William Stuart James Clouston (Social Democratic Party)
- Rees Cowne (Independent)
- Glenn Charles Cummings (Independent)
- Martin Davies (Freedom Alliance – Real People, Real Alternative!)
- Andy Erlam (Independent)
- Nigel Farage (Reform UK)
- Attieh Fard (Independent)
- Laurence Fox (The Reclaim Party)
- Tony Francis (Independent)
- Robin Green (Independent)
- Abi Hookway (Independent)
- Howling Laud Hope (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party)
- Stephen Richard Ingram (Independent)
- Amy Morris (Independent)
- Derrick Norbert Morris (Independent)
- Michael Noel O’Keeffe (Independent)
- Martyn OBrien (Independent)
- Nick Pelas (Independent)
- Ketankumar Pipaliya (UK VOICE safer and stronger UK)
- Daniel Pocock (Independent)
- James Ransley (Consensus Party Candidate)
- Gerry Smith (Independent)
- Kai Stephens (British Democrats)
- John Stevens (Rejoin EU)
- Baron Von Thunderclap (The Official Monster Raving Loony Party)
- Pamela Walford (Independent)
- Marcus White (Everyone is God Party)
- Marc Wilkinson (Independent)
