Northern Ireland went to the polls yesterday, May 5, to vote in its Assembly elections.
Votes began to be counted on May 6, at 8 am. According to the Electoral Office of Northern Ireland, there were 873,787 total votes polled and an overall turnout of 63.61%.
90 seats are up for grabs in the Northern Ireland Assembly Elections - five seats in each of the 18 constituencies in the region.
Northern Ireland uses the Single Transferable Vote system, which the Northern Ireland Assembly explains in this video:
We use a system called Single Transferable Vote or STV when voting in Assembly Elections. Take a look at this video from the Assembly Education Service @NIAEducation to find out how it works. #AE22 #AssemblyExplained pic.twitter.com/tHqFGISoXJ
— Northern Ireland Assembly (@niassembly) May 5, 2022
In Northern Ireland's last elections, which were held in 2017, the DUP won 28 seats, Sinn Féin 27, the SDLP 12, UUP 10, the Alliance party 8, and other parties 5, The Guardian reports.
Opinion polls leading up to the elections indicated that Sinn Féin may emerge as the largest party. Should Sinn Féin win the majority, they are entitled to nominate the First Minister, meaning Northern Ireland could soon have its first-ever nationalist First Minister.
Northern Ireland Assembly election results
Update 7:30 pm EST:
The Northern Ireland Assembly has said that counting for today, Friday, May 6, has concluded and will resume tomorrow, Saturday, May 7.
46 of 90 seats have been declared.
#AE22 All done for tonight. We'll be back tomorrow for the final results. 46/90 seats decided so far:
Sinn Féin - 18
— Northern Ireland Assembly (@niassembly) May 6, 2022
Democratic Unionist Party - 12
Alliance - 7
Ulster Unionist Party - 4
Social Democratic and Labour Party - 3
Independent - 1
Traditional Unionist Voice - 1
Update 7:29 pm EST:
46 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 18 seats (+1)
- DUP: 12 seats (+2)
- Alliance: 7 seats
- UUP: 4 seats
- SDLP: 3 seats (+2)
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
- TUV: 1 seat (+1)
Sinn Féin
- Liz Kimmins has been elected as MLA for Newry and Armagh
DUP
- Pam Cameron has been elected as MLA for South Antrim
- Trevor Clarke has been elected as MLA for South Antrim
SDLP
- Matthew O'Toole has been elected as MLA for Belfast South
- Justin McNulty has been elected as MLA for Newry and Armagh
TUV
- Jim Allister has been elected as MLA for North Antrim
Update 6:55 pm EST:
40 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 17 seats
- DUP: 10 seats (+2)
- Alliance: 7 seats
- UUP: 4 seats
- SDLP: 1 seat
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
DUP:
- David Hilditch has been elected as MLA for East Antrim
- Edwin Poots has been elected as MLA for Belfast South
Update 6:50 pm EST:
38 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 17 seats (+1)
- DUP: 8 seats (+2)
- Alliance: 7 seats (+3)
- UUP: 4 seats (+1)
- SDLP: 1 seat
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
Sinn Féin:
- John O'Dowd has been elected as MLA for Upper Bann
Alliance:
- Danny Donnelly has been elected as MLA for East Antrim
- Stewart Dickson has been elected as MLA for East Antrim
UUP:
- Steve Aiken has been elected as MLA for South Antrim
Update 4:59 pm EST:
31 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 16 seats
- DUP: 6 seats (+1)
- Alliance: 4 seats
- UUP: 3 seats
- SDLP: 1 seat
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
DUP
- Harry Harvey has been elected as MLA for Strangford
Update 4:35 pm EST:
30 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 16 seats
- DUP: 5 seats (+1)
- Alliance: 4 seats (+1)
- UUP: 3 seats
- SDLP: 1 seat
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
DUP:
- Paul Givan has been elected as MLA for Lagan Valley
Alliance:
- Sorcha Eastwood has been elected as MLA for Lagan Valley
Update 3:40 pm EST:
28 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 16 seats
- DUP: 4 seats (+2)
- Alliance: 3 seats
- UUP: 3 seats
- SDLP: 1 seat
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
DUP:
- Gordon Lyons has been elected as MLA for East Antrim
- Michelle McIlveen has been elected as MLA for Strangford
Update 2:21 pm EST:
26 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin: 16 seats
- Alliance: 3 seats (+1)
- UUP: 3 seats (+1)
- DUP: 2 seats
- SDLP: 1 seat
- Independent Unionist: 1 seat
Alliance:
- John Blair has been elected as MLA for South Antrim
UUP:
- John Stewart has been elected as MLA for East Antrim
Update 2:16 pm EST:
With all 18 constituencies reporting, Sinn Féin has won the most first preference votes, according to Ireland Elect. The nationalist party won 29% of first preference votes, followed by the DUP who won 21.3%, and then Alliance, who claimed 13.5%.
FINAL total first preference votes (100% in):
Vótaí céadrogha iomlán DEIREADH (100% istigh):SF: 29.0% (+1.1)
DUP: 21.3% (-6.7)
AP: 13.5 (+4.5)
UUP: 11.2% (-1.7)
SDLP: 9.1% (-2.9)
TUV: 7.6% (+5.1)
GP: 1.9% (-0.4)
…Live results on https://t.co/LvxJJpNuxf#AE22 #AE2022 pic.twitter.com/dDLXmBsnkr
— Ireland Elects (@ToghannEire) May 6, 2022
Update 1:40 pm EST:
The Electoral Office of Northern Ireland believes that counting will roll over into a second day:
Watching the transfer of votes at this stage and parcels often being small it is likely that we will move into a second day at all venues. Update in a few hours.
— Electoral Office NI (@eoni_official) May 6, 2022
Update 1:38 pm EST:
24 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin- 16 seats (+1)
- DUP - 2 seats
- Alliance - 2 seats
- UUP - 2 seats
- SDLP - 1 seat
- Independent Unionist - 1 seat
Sinn Féin:
- Cathal Boylan has been elected as MLA for Newry and Armagh
Update 1:30 pm EST:
23 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin- 15 seats (+3)
- DUP - 2 seats
- Alliance - 2 seats
- UUP - 2 seats (+1)
- SDLP - 1 seat (+1)
- Independent Unionist - 1 seat
Sinn Féin:
- Pádraig Delargy has been elected as MLA for Foyle
- Jemma Dolan has been elected as MLA for Fermanagh and South Tyrone
- Conor Murphy has been elected as MLA for Newry and Armagh
UUP:
- Robbie Butler has been elected as MLA for Lagan Valley
SDLP:
- Mark Durkan has been elected as MLA for Foyle
Update 12:40 pm EST:
18 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin- 12 seats
- DUP - 2 seats
- Alliance - 2 seats
- UUP - 1 seat
- Independent Unionist - 1 seat
Sinn Féin:
- Linda Dillon has been elected as MLA for Mid Ulster
- Emma Sheerin has been elected as MLA for Mid Ulster
Update 12:35 pm EST:
16 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin- 10 seats
- DUP - 2 seats
- Alliance - 2 seats
- UUP - 1 seat
- Independent Unionist - 1 seat
Independent Unionist:
- Alex Easton has been elected as MLA for North Down
Update 12:25 pm EST:
15 of 90 seats declared:
- Sinn Féin- 10 seats
- DUP - 2 seats
- Alliance - 2 seats
- UUP - 1 seat
Sinn Féin:
- Sinéad Ennis has been elected as MLA for South Down
- Cathy Mason has been elected as MLA for South Down
- Deirdre Hargey has been elected as MLA for South Belfast
- Danny Baker has been elected as MLA for West Belfast
- Nicola Brogan has been elected as MLA for West Tyrone
- Declan Kearney has been elected as MLA for South Antrim
- Gerry Kelly has been elected as MLA for North Belfast
- Carál Ní Chuilín has been elected as MLA for North Belfast
- Michelle O’Neill has been elected as MLA for Mid Ulster
- Philip McGuigan has been elected as MLA for North Antrim
DUP:
- Jeffrey Donaldson has been elected as MLA for Lagan Valley
- Joanne Bunting has been elected as MLA for Belfast East
Alliance:
- Naomi Long has been elected as MLA for East Belfast
- Kellie Armstrong has been elected as MLA for Strangford
UUP:
- Robin Swann has been elected as MLA for North Antrim
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