Liberal Democrat Liz Jarvis has won the seat. It had been Conservative since 2015.

Luke De Costa
BBC News, Romsey

The count has begun at the Mountbatten School in Romsey.

The hardwood hall, which is more used to hosting school assemblies, has been transformed into what feels like a massive sorting office.

When ballot papers are emptied from black tubs onto the tables before count staff - armed with thimbles - they set upon them like Guinea Pigs on watermelon.

With focus and care they flick through and pile up the votes.

This is a crucial seat for the Conservatives who have held it, with Caroline Nokes, since 2010.

She is expected to be in a very close race with the Liberal Democrat candidate Geoff Cooper. Very close indeed. Could we be in for an all nighter?

Joe Campbell
BBC South Today

Counting for North West Hants gets underway in Basingstoke, while votes for Basingstoke are still being validated.

Kit Malthouse the first of the Tory big beasts to arrive at the count. Now waking the floor talking to party workers. Too early for comment he says

Ellie Cleverley
BBC News, Eastleigh

In the leisure centre in Eastleigh, the scuffing of trainers on the courts has been changed to the sound of shuffling papers as counting is well underway.

Though the exit polls are giving Labour the majority, in Eastleigh it looks like it could be a majority for the liberal democrat here - the exit poll suggested it was a 99% for the party.

Liberal Democrat candidate, Liz Jarvis, isn't here yet but is expected to arrive before the declaration.

Turnout was 66.5% with 46,550 ballot papers - a 3.8% decrease from the 2019 election.

Sophie Cridland
BBC News, Fareham

The boxes have arrived, and the ballots are being counted for the new Hamble Valley constituency and they have been verified for Fareham and Waterlooville, with a turnout of 65%.

There’s a sea of rosettes, along with a scrum of media, watching the results being counted and waiting for the results.

Just before Suella Braverman arrived, her election agent said the team are confident that she’s got a good result from the postal votes for Fareham and Waterlooville.

Emily Hudson
Hampshire & Isle of Wight political reporter

The rest of the country is talking about Labour - but not here, it's absolutely a two horse race between the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives.

In the counting hall, at Winchester Sport and Leisure park, you can tell who's backing which party. There are women wearing yellow or blue cardigans or dresses with yellow or blue flowers, while the men are sporting yellow or blue ties.

The Conservative leader of the opposition on the city council, Caroline Horrill told me it's not been an easy campaign. She said local issues - like the location of a new hospital for Hampshire - have been brought up on the doorsteps.

"The sadness for me, if the predictions are correct, is Flick [Drummond] is a great MP, investing hugely in the Meon Valley constituency and she may be one of those who loses because of a national mood change."

Lib Dem Martin Tod - Leader of Winchester City Council said: "It's been a positive campaign - it's clear people want change, they like what we had to say.

"We're hopeful of a great result. We won't know result until it's declared but looking at the exit polls we feel optimistic".

Sophia Seth
BBC South Today

Here in Havant, Conservative Alan Mak held the seat for the Conservatives with a majority of 21,792

However Labour’s Stephanie Harvey said she was "quietly optimistic" that Labour could win.

"At the doors, we’ve had 45% promise rate… and considering it’s a Conservative safe seat if we can get anywhere close that will be a positive result but I am quietly confident,” she told me.

Reform’s John Perry said he felt “very relaxed“

"Having looked at the papers during verification, to me it looks close. It is unclear what the result will be. I believe it will be close”.

Michele Cross
BBC News

I’m up in the gallery at Southampton’s Guildhall. There are two counts taking place here - Southampton Itchen and Southampton Test.

Ballot papers are still being verified before the counting proper can begin.

Regardless of a party retaining power, both constituencies will have new MPs, after the former MPs - Conservative Royston Smith and Labour’s Alan Whitehead announced they were stepping down.

Ellie Cleverley
BBC News, Eastleigh

The atmosphere in Eastleigh is calm at the moment as the boxes flurry through the leisure centres door and the verification of the papers begins.

The constituency has been Conservatives since 2015 but prior to that it was a Lib Dem seat for 20 years; polls have been suggesting it could swing to Lib Dem again.

This notion was emphasised by the party leader Ed Davey’s visit to the area playing jenga during the campaign.

Their most recent MP, Paul Holmes, has moved eastwards to stand in neighbouring Hamble Valley with Samuel Joynson running for the constituency.

Samuel who is at the count, said: “I don’t think the exit poll is accurate for Eastleigh. I think it will be absurdly close here.”

Liz Jarvis, the Liberal Democrat candidate is yet to arrive.

Voting has been taking place throughout the day across the UK in the 2024 general election.

Join us after midnight BST for coverage of all the results and reaction across Hampshire & the Isle of Wight.

BBC South will have reporters at the counts and you can follow all the election developments as they happen here on the BBC News website and app.