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Polling day guide: What to watch for EU referendum polling day guide: What to watch for
(about 13 hours later)
Thursday is polling day in the UK's EU referendum. Here's what to watch out for as events unfold.Thursday is polling day in the UK's EU referendum. Here's what to watch out for as events unfold.
First things first: How to voteFirst things first: How to vote
Polls open at 07:00 BST and close at 22:00 BST. Polls are open in the UK and Gibraltar until 22:00 BST. Any voter who arrives at a polling station before this time will be able to vote. There is no need to bring your polling card when you go to vote, but in Northern Ireland, you have to take a form of photo ID.
Any voter who arrives to vote at a polling station before 22:00 BST will be able to vote. There is no need to bring your polling card when you go to vote, but in Northern Ireland, you have to take a form of photo ID.
Postal votes need to be returned to your local electoral registration office by 22:00 BST or, in England Wales and Scotland but not Northern Ireland, they can be taken to your polling station on the day. In England, Scotland and Wales, if you are suddenly incapacitated or taken ill on polling day, you can apply for an emergency proxy up until 17:00 BST.
Read more on how to cast your voteRead more on how to cast your vote
What happens next?What happens next?
After polls close at 22:00 BST, sealed ballot boxes will be collected and transported to the count venue for each of the 382 local counting areas.After polls close at 22:00 BST, sealed ballot boxes will be collected and transported to the count venue for each of the 382 local counting areas.
These represent all 380 local government area in England, Scotland and Wales, plus one each for Northern Ireland and Gibraltar. These represent all 380 local government areas in England, Scotland and Wales, plus one each for Northern Ireland and Gibraltar.
Individual areas' results will then be declared throughout the night, along with regional results from 11 regional counts. Individual areas' results will then be declared throughout the night, along with results from 11 national and regional centres.
Although the results are declared by local authority area, a referendum is different to a general election in that every individual vote across the UK counts equally towards the final result.Although the results are declared by local authority area, a referendum is different to a general election in that every individual vote across the UK counts equally towards the final result.
According to the Electoral Commission's estimated timings [downloadable file], Sunderland and the London borough of Wandsworth are expected to be among the first counts to be completed, at around 00:30 BST. According to the Electoral Commission's estimated timings [downloadable file], Sunderland and the London borough of Wandsworth are expected to be among the first counts to be completed, at about 00:30 BST.
Local counting areas vary from Birmingham (nearly 700,000 eligible voters) to the Isles of Scilly (about 1,700) so the amount of time spent counting will vary widely.Local counting areas vary from Birmingham (nearly 700,000 eligible voters) to the Isles of Scilly (about 1,700) so the amount of time spent counting will vary widely.
How the referendum votes are counted
Follow the action on the BBCFollow the action on the BBC
Here's a reminder of how the BBC reports EU referendum polling day. From 22:00 BST, there will be comprehensive coverage on the BBC News website and app with live text and video updates, reaction and analysis from BBC editors and others. There will also be an up-to-the-minute full results service and details of all local results.
BBC One, the BBC News Channel and BBC Parliament will broadcast a results show hosted by David Dimbleby alongside BBC experts and special guests from 21:55 BST. Coverage continues throughout the night and Sophie Raworth, Andrew Neil and Victoria Derbyshire pick up the coverage on Friday morning. BBC One, the BBC News Channel and BBC Parliament will broadcast a results show hosted by David Dimbleby alongside BBC experts and special guests from 21:55 BST. Coverage continues through the night and Sophie Raworth, Andrew Neil and Victoria Derbyshire pick up the coverage on Friday morning.
BBC Radio 5 Live will have live coverage as the results come in, as will Radio 4 from 23:00 BST until the Today programme picks up at 06:00 BST on Friday. The results programme will be streamed internationally on the BBC News website from 22:00 BST.
There will also be comprehensive coverage online with rolling text and video updates, results as they happen plus reaction and analysis from BBC editors and others. BBC Radio 5 live will have coverage as the results come in, as will Radio 4 from 23:00 BST until the Today programme picks up at 06:00 BST on Friday.
From 22:00 GMT, television viewers outside the UK can tune in via BBC World News and BBC World News America. Listeners outside the UK can tune into BBC World Service radio for regular updates.
When will we know the result?When will we know the result?
Here's a reminder of how the BBC reports EU referendum polling day.
It's hard to be certain how things will pan out, as this is only the third UK-wide referendum and there are notable differences with the previous two.It's hard to be certain how things will pan out, as this is only the third UK-wide referendum and there are notable differences with the previous two.
Depending on how close the poll is, the result may become clear before the final national result is officially declared by the Chief Counting Officer, who will be based at Manchester Town Hall. Depending on how close the poll is, the result may become clear before the final national result is officially declared by the chief counting officer, who will be based at Manchester Town Hall.
The Electoral Commission estimates a final result "around breakfast time" on Friday.The Electoral Commission estimates a final result "around breakfast time" on Friday.
Once the final result has been declared, a breakdown of the results will be released on a local and regional level.Once the final result has been declared, a breakdown of the results will be released on a local and regional level.