Count

The process of counting ballot papers after polling closes.

Also used as: vote count, counting votes, election count, counts

Source / explainer: Read Electoral Commission guidance

Last reviewed: 3 August 2026

The count is the process of counting ballot papers after polling has closed. Election staff check and count the votes, and the result is usually announced after the count has been completed. In public reporting, the term can refer both to the process and to the event where candidates, agents and officials gather for the counting of votes.

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