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When will the mayoral election result be declared?

Emma Howgego
BBC political reporter, Cambridgeshire
PA Media A black box with the words 'Ballot Box' written on the front in white. A hand is above placing a white piece of paper in a hole on the top. PA Media
Results from the elections will be declared throughout the day

The counting of ballot papers is due to start on Friday following Thursday's local council and mayoral elections in a county.

Cambridgeshire County Council will elect 61 new councillors through the vote, as well as the new mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.

The verification process, which checks that the number of ballot papers counted corresponds with those issued, took place overnight after the polling stations closed at 22:00 BST on Thursday.

The counting of the ballot papers by candidate and party will get under way at about 09:00 BST on Friday across six counting centres in the county.

Emma Baugh/ BBC People sit in a row at a table counting ballot papers. A man stands behind them overseeing their work. The words 'Count Supervisor' is on a display to the left. Emma Baugh/ BBC
Counting will take place at six centres across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough

The counting of ballots to elect the mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough will take place first.

The six counting centres in Peterborough, Cambridge, south Cambridgeshire, east Cambridgeshire, Fenland and Huntingdonshire will count the ballot papers from those districts.

The figures will then be fed to the returning officer in east Cambridgeshire, who will announce the result.

This year's mayoral election is using the first-past-the-post voting system, but in 2017 and 2021 the election used the supplementary system where voters got a second preference.

This resulted in Labour's Nik Johnson winning the seat in 2021, even though the Conservative candidate James Palmer received more votes in the first round.

The returning officer is expected to announce the new mayor in the early afternoon on Friday.

The attention will then turn to the county council results.

Cambridgeshire has a two-tier system of local government. The job of administering elections falls to the lower-tier district councils, even though the elections were for the upper-tier county council seats.

The five areas of Cambridgeshire - Cambridge city, east Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire and south Cambridgeshire - will count their share of the county council seats.

Kate Moser Andon/BBC A brick building with a pitched roof. A door is open and a sign reading "polling station" is hung to its left. A number of windows are open and a black bench is at its front, with is decorated with white doves and poppies. Kate Moser Andon/BBC
Polling stations such as this one in Balsham, Cambridgeshire, were open until 22:00 BST on Thursday

In 2021 the results of the Cambridgeshire County Council elections were:

  • Conservatives: 28
  • Liberal Democrats: 20
  • Labour: 9
  • Independents: 4

Following that election a joint administration between Labour, Liberal Democrats and Independents was formed.

The position has strengthened since then, due to by-elections and defections and the Liberal Democrats have since become the largest party.

The political make-up at the time of the election was:

  • Liberal Democrats: 23
  • Conservatives: 21
  • Labour: 10
  • Independents: 7

If after the elections no one party has 31 seats then discussions may take place between like-minded parties to form a joint administration.

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