May 2015 UK General Election Campaign.

[Barrister]

How the hell does it take so long to count votes in the UK?

Elections in Canada, which stretches across 4 1/2 time zones, would have had election results by now.

Nevertheless, being the political nerd I am, I'm sitting here watching an online BBC stream of the results.

[Sheilbh]

The Tories had North Warwickshire with 54 votes in 2010. They've held it with an increased majority of over 1000 despite the incumbent stepping down.

Also UKIP beat the Greens in Islington South. Which is odd.

[jimmy olsen]

Labour vote down in Nuneaton. Christ...

Interesting living through 1992 having heard so much about it from my parents.

It does feel a bit like 1992; that was the first election where I stayed up all night to watch the results.

At the same time it doesn't; it's a hell of a lot slower. By this time in 1992 something like 300 or more seats had declared.

If the Tories have managed clear water in the vote share the bloodbath among the polling companies will be quite interesting. I remember that being the case in 1992.

Why does it take so much longer to count these days?

[Ed Anger]

Guido Fawkes is tweeting various celebrity labour supporters with a bit of a mocking message:

"You OK Hun?"

[Agelastus]

Why does it take so much longer to count these days?

Not that I think that this explanation is entirely solid - and note I underestimated the number of results that had been declared by 2am in 1992 (it was more like 470) -

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32428768

Prior to 1997, exit poll predictions were replaced relatively quickly by a fast-flowing tide of real results.

However, the flow of results has slowed dramatically since 1992 because of the local elections in England held on the same day.

On 7 May, we have the largest ever set of local elections alongside the general election.

It would appear that we will be relying on the exit poll predictions for some hours before enough results have been declared to safely dispense with it.


The reason we have the largest set of local elections alongside the general election this time is, of course, a result of the Fixed Term parliament legislation.

[citizen k]

The BBC has turned the UK into a giant wargame hexboard.

[Agelastus]

Oh, and my constituency has stayed safely Tory - with the Tories and UKIP increasing their vote share and Labour and the LibDems heading in the opposite direction.

[Sheilbh]

I feel like I'm moving into the 'anger' stage.

[Agelastus]

I feel like I'm moving into the 'anger' stage.

Pourquoi?

[Neil]

Because they're still counting ballots when they should have been done three hours ago?

[Sheilbh]

I feel like I'm moving into the 'anger' stage.

Pourquoi?

Tribal anti-Toryism. Rage at Labour.

[Barrister]

These results are vaguely reassuring me after the terrible results in Albertastan on Tuesday.   

[Grey Fox]

How the hell does it take so long to count votes in the UK?

Elections in Canada, which stretches across 4 1/2 time zones, would have had election results by now.

Nevertheless, being the political nerd I am, I'm sitting here watching an online BBC stream of the results.

Seriously. By this hour, in October, we will know who of Mulcair or Harper is going to be our new(old) Federal PM.

WTH are they doing?

[Barrister]

How the hell does it take so long to count votes in the UK?

Elections in Canada, which stretches across 4 1/2 time zones, would have had election results by now.

Nevertheless, being the political nerd I am, I'm sitting here watching an online BBC stream of the results.

Seriously. By this hour, in October, we will know who of Mulcair or Harper is going to be our new(old) Federal PM.

WTH are they doing?

it's 4am in the UK.  We'll know hours before this unless it's an incredibly close election.

[Neil]

Mulcair