Results for the Greater Manchester by-election are expected in the early hours of Friday morning, with the winner expected to be declared around 2am
With ballots being cast in what’s shaping up to be one of the most fiercely fought by-elections in living memory, plenty of people will be eager to discover which of the eleven contenders has secured the Gorton and Denton parliamentary seat at the earliest opportunity.
The outcome for the Greater Manchester by-election is expected to be announced in the small hours of Friday morning (February 27). Polling stations welcomed voters from 7am on Thursday, remaining open until 10pm.
A precise minute-by-minute timetable cannot be guaranteed, as it hinges on the speed at which ballots are verified and tallied. That said, results are projected to emerge from approximately 2am onwards on Friday, reports the Manchester Evening News.
Ensure our latest headlines always appear at the top of your Google Search by making us a Preferred Source. Click here to activate or add us as your Preferred Source in your Google search settings.
READ MORE: Andy Burnham has key message for voters in Gorton and Denton by-electionREAD MORE: Keir Starmer urges voters to ‘strike a blow against hate’ in crunch by-election
- 10pm: Polling stations shut their doors and ballot boxes are ferried to the central counting venue.
- 11pm – 1am: The “verification” phase commences. During this stage, officials ensure the quantity of ballots within the boxes corresponds with figures logged at polling stations.
- 1am – 3am: The genuine vote counting process unfolds.
- 3:30am – 5am: Provided there’s an unambiguous victor and no demand for a recount, the Returning Officer will be in a position to deliver their formal announcement.
Several elements could push back the declaration of a result. For starters, strong turnout at the ballot box translates to more papers requiring counting.
Put simply, greater voter participation means a lengthier process. Similarly, in a neck-and-neck contest, a single count may prove insufficient.
Officials could determine that a recount is necessary, which would postpone the outcome. This might push the final declaration back until 6am or 7am on Friday morning.
Another consideration is that this marks one of the first significant by-elections since the 2024 general election under stringent ID requirements. Any hiccups during the verification phase could hamper the initial proceedings.
