Politics · 13 August 2026

Clacton by-election count will be much slower due to 34 candidates

The Clacton by-election count is expected to take significantly longer, with results possibly announced between 5 am and 7 am on Friday. The presence of 34 candidates has led to a ballot paper of unprecedented length in British electoral history. Counting votes will involve larger table areas at Clacton Leisure Centre to verify, sort, and count the nearly metre-long papers.

By BriefTea Editorial · 13 August 2026 at 3:22

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How are votes counted? What is a ballot paper? What is a by-election? Why so many candidates?

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