United Kingdom General Election: July 4, 2024

[Alcibiades]

Northern Ireland is, I think, the one part of the UK in which turnout figures can be seen throughout the day.

https://twitter.com/Saraita101/status/1808836161017724974

Does Britain not even do nationwide turnout reports? I guess its election administration is stuck in the early 19th century just like its constitutional structure.

The British seem to subscribe to the philosophy of less information being better, which has its own merits. (What do on-the-day turnout reports or partial results actually add other than drama, anyway?)

There is a legitimate public interest in timely updates on the state of democratic participation.

Why? What does it add? I agree publishing final turnout numbers is important, but that does happen here. In countries which do release turnout throughout the day, it mostly seems to enable dodgy analysis about whom the high/low turnout in X part of the country is supposedly benefitting — which could in fact be damaging for similar reasons to why it would be a terrible idea to release partial results throughout polling day.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

Polling stations do not send regular updates on turnout to anyone, so there is no way of knowing for sure what turnout levels are anywhere. Local campaigns might be able to make a rough guess if they have good canvassing data and an active polling day ground game, but in the case of no party will that stich together well enough to form a national picture, and most won't actually have a clue.

[Antonio the Sixth]

Northern Ireland is, I think, the one part of the UK in which turnout figures can be seen throughout the day.

https://twitter.com/Saraita101/status/1808836161017724974

Does Britain not even do nationwide turnout reports? I guess its election administration is stuck in the early 19th century just like its constitutional structure.

The British seem to subscribe to the philosophy of less information being better, which has its own merits. (What do on-the-day turnout reports or partial results actually add other than drama, anyway?)

There is a legitimate public interest in timely updates on the state of democratic participation.

Why? What does it add? I agree publishing final turnout numbers is important, but that does happen here. In countries which do release turnout throughout the day, it mostly seems to enable dodgy analysis about whom the high/low turnout in X part of the country is supposedly benefitting — which could in fact be damaging for similar reasons to why it would be a terrible idea to release partial results throughout polling day.

I have a hard time imagining that turnout updates could depress turnout. If anything, I'd wager it might help convince at least a few people on the fence to go out and vote. Just the fact that turnout numbers are the only real numbers the media are allowed to discuss throughout the day focuses the discussion on democratic participation rather than on petty political squabbles. The speculations on whom it benefits are usually marginal outside of political junkie circles.

[Pres Mike]

https://twitter.com/oldenoughtosay/status/1808816391077683517
My favorite part of polling day (before the exit poll).

Silly Brits

Atleast us Americans don't have to worry about being influenced by our media

[afleitch]

Another rule of thumb on election day is that turnout is never described as anything but 'brisk.'

[DL]

I have a hard time imagining that turnout updates could depress turnout. If anything, I'd wager it might help convince at least a few people on the fence to go out and vote. Just the fact that turnout numbers are the only real numbers the media are allowed to discuss throughout the day focuses the discussion on democratic participation rather than on petty political squabbles. The speculations on whom it benefits are usually marginal outside of political junkie circles.

Anyone who pays enough attention to politics to even read or be aware of updates on turnout on lection day is 100% certain to be a political junkie who votes come hell or high water. The people who are seriously at risk of not voting are people who barely even know than an election is happening.

[Thomas D]

Sky News Live Youtube stream

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yNlqaj7h2AA

[Punxsutawney Phil]

We're in the last hour of voting.

[Logical]

Election night thread
https://talkelections.org/FORUM/index.php?topic=597296.0
See you there in 50 minutes.

[Talleyrand]

Is BBC election coverage available outside the UK tonight? Or is Sky our best best?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I'm not sure if I'll be very active here later, but a general point for everyone: please be very careful with early rumours, many of which are quite baseless and inaccurate.

[Logical]

Is BBC election coverage available outside the UK tonight? Or is Sky our best best?

BBC :
https://www.livehdtv.com/bbc-news/2/ (not geoblocked)
Sky :
https://www.youtube.com/live/yNlqaj7h2AA
ITV :
https://www.youtube.com/live/Xu9DdrBCopA
GB News :
https://www.youtube.com/live/A052pIEj8Ns (if you are a masochist who fancies seeing a meltdown)

[the506]

Is BBC election coverage available outside the UK tonight? Or is Sky our best best?

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn09xn9je7lt#player - here's a stream that's working now, but knowing the BBC they'll probably pull it just before 10 or something.

[Antonio the Sixth]

I have a hard time imagining that turnout updates could depress turnout. If anything, I'd wager it might help convince at least a few people on the fence to go out and vote. Just the fact that turnout numbers are the only real numbers the media are allowed to discuss throughout the day focuses the discussion on democratic participation rather than on petty political squabbles. The speculations on whom it benefits are usually marginal outside of political junkie circles.

Anyone who pays enough attention to politics to even read or be aware of updates on turnout on lection day is 100% certain to be a political junkie who votes come hell or high water. The people who are seriously at risk of not voting are people who barely even know than an election is happening.

This is simply not true. In France and Italy (and I'd wager most of Europe) turnout updates are widely circulated by mass media, so plenty of normies are exposed to it whether they care about politics or not.

[Gass3268]

I'm not sure if I'll be very active here later, but a general point for everyone: please be very careful with early rumours, many of which are quite baseless and inaccurate.

So what your saying is we should totally believe the Daily Mail saying things are going much better for Conservatives than they thought it would be?

[Oryxslayer]

Is BBC election coverage available outside the UK tonight? Or is Sky our best best?

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn09xn9je7lt#player - here's a stream that's working now, but knowing the BBC they'll probably pull it just before 10 or something.

In 2019 they had a official non-geoblocked stream, but it went up when programming started like 5-10 minutes before 10.

[Logical]

And don't listen to Laura K. She has a very very awful understanding of psephology and spent the last few election nights repeating unfounded rumours.

[afleitch]

Sky News have a CGI Larry the cat.

[Talleyrand]

Is BBC election coverage available outside the UK tonight? Or is Sky our best best?

https://www.bbc.com/news/live/cn09xn9je7lt#player - here's a stream that's working now, but knowing the BBC they'll probably pull it just before 10 or something.

In 2019 they had a official non-geoblocked stream, but it went up when programming started like 5-10 minutes before 10.

Thank you!!! Please do share if it does.

[Punxsutawney Phil]

From my Youtube algorithm

UK General Election 2024 at LSE
LSE

337 watching
LIVE

Is it just me or was I suddenly reminded of a certain character on Yes, Minister?

[Zinneke]

Watching election night in the UK always makes me marvel at two things:

1. After the exit poll is announced at 10pm - then there is like a 2 hour wait for there to be any actual results to analyse, meaning the anchors have to talk and talk and talk for over two hours and its all just idle speculation.

2. At 6am its still the SAME people anchoring the election coverage. how do they do it? Do the on-air personalities all do lines of cocaine together or take methamphetamines to stay awake?

Yes, and not just for election nights.

[Oryxslayer]

Expected Declaration Times (so extremely rough) for peculiar seats:

(here's a nice list for everything if you care about that)



Blyth & Ashington (aiming to be the first): 11:30

Basildon & Billericay (3 way with Reform): 12:15

Leicester East (Labour rebel and ethnic issues): 2:00

Holborn and St Pancras (Starmer, the press will show this one): 2:30

Rochdale (Galloway): 2:30

Aberdeen South (SNP Westminster leader's seat): 3:00

Belfast East (Alliance leader vs DUP leader): 3:00

Great Yarmouth (Potentially target #3 for Reform UK): 3:00

Islington North (Corbyn): 3:00

Ynys Mons (idiosyncratic PC target): 3:00

Bristol Central (Green Co-leader Target): 3:15

Kingston and Surbiton (Davey, press may show this one): 3:30

Godalming and Ash (Jeremy Hunt): 3:30

Portsmouth North (Mordaunt, aka potential Tory leader if she somehow holds on): 3:30

Birmingham Ladywood (targeted by Gaza Indie who previously ran for mayor): 4:00

Boston and Skegness (Tice target for Reform): 4:00

Clacton (Farage target for Reform): 4:00

Richmond and Northallerton (Sunak, press will show this one): 4:00

Waveny Valley (Green Co-leader Target): 4:00

Brighton Pavilion (One Green seat but no longer an incumbent): 4:15

Ashfield (crazy 3 or even 4 way): 4:30

Herefordshire North (become Green target #4 during campaign): 5:00

Norfolk South West (Truss seat targeted by Con-Indie Bagge): 5:30

[MABA 2020]

With less than 30 minutes to go, listening to Things Can Only Get Better to manifest my desired result.

[Alcibiades]

Just the fact that turnout numbers are the only real numbers the media are allowed to discuss throughout the day focuses the discussion on democratic participation rather than on petty political squabbles.

Broadcasters here are not allowed to report on anything campaign-related while polls are open. Coverage therefore consists entirely of things like photos of dogs at polling stations, which I think you’d have to have a heart of stone to object to.

[GenerationTerrorist]

And don't listen to Laura K. She has a very very awful understanding of psephology and spent the last few election nights repeating unfounded rumours.

She's just useless, end of.