MPs call for early count after voting

OFFICIALS are under political pressure to count General Election votes overnight just hours after polling stations close.

Stoke-on-Trent City Council has indicated that it will not start adding up the ballots until the following day.

COUNTING UP: The votes are counted after the last General Election in 2005.

But Justice Secretary Jack Straw, pictured below, has backed a Conservative call for counting to start within four hours of polls closing.

The Electoral Commission warned such a move "may not be workable" and returning officers have also expressed concerns.

But Stoke-on-Trent South MP Rob Flello said he has written to the city's returning officer in support of an overnight count.

He added: "It is manageable to count overnight and possible to do so."

Stoke-on-Trent North MP Joan Walley said voters would not expect to pay to watch the England team play and not find out the results until the next day.

She added: "I would ask everyone to pull out all the stops to complete the count on the night."

Stoke-on-Trent City Council is waiting to find out if a General Election will be held on the same day as local elections before making a decision.

However, the authority has indicated that the parliamentary count is likely to start at 9.30am.

The declaration would be expected by 2pm.

Voters will also select 20 councillors to sit on Stoke-on-Trent City Council, with that count starting after the parliamentary results are in.

Newcastle voters will get their result in the early hours of the morning after the vote.

The constituency's General Election announcement is anticipated before 3am.

Volunteers will then begin totting up the votes which will determine 20 seats on Newcastle Borough Council the next day. Those results should be declared by 1pm.

Newcastle MP Paul Farrelly said: "It is a long day for the borough council staff, but election night is special."

Counting will also begin immediately after voting closes in the Staffordshire Moorlands, Stafford and Stone, with results anticipated between 2am and 4am.

Cheshire East Council has not made a decision on when its parliamentary counts will take place.