Election results live: South East

Summary

Updates from the general and local elections in south East England on 7 and 8 May 2015

Live Reporting

Rochester & Stroodpublished at 23:44 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Piers Hopkirk
BBC South East Today
You want election colour, you got it - courtesy of former Rochester & Strood Liberal Democrat candidate Geoff Juby.
Mr Juby stood in last year's Rochester & Strood by-election. The general election Liberal Democrat candidate for Rochester is Prue Bray.
Postpublished at 23:40 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Many election traditions stretch back to before the 1950s - an era without Twitter feeds, rolling news or televised election debates.
Image source, Getty Images
For some, the rituals of election night affirm British parliamentary democracy, but others wonder if its past its sell-by date.
The BBC asked whether general elections were stuck in the past?
Eastbournepublished at 23:35 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Juliette Parkin
BBC South East Today
Here's how the count at Eastbourne is looking.
Eastbourne has been Liberal Democrat and has been a key target seat for the Conservatives. It is seen as a possible sign of how keenly the battle would be fought.
Crawleypublished at 23:25 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Jack Fiehn
BBC Sussex
At the Crawley count, I've been finding out what people think about the exit poll.
Image source, Phil Coomes
So far, Liberal Democrat campaigners say they are not convinced by the national prediction that has put the Conservatives ahead on 316 seats.
Crawleypublished at 23:17 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Counting is due to get under way at about midnight at Crawley's K2 leisure centre.
Ballot papers are being validated right now and clip boards are at the ready.
Postpublished at 23:12 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Several returning officers plan to meet a 03:00 BST deadline for declaring their results.
Those areas include Canterbury, Dover, Eastbourne, Reigate and Woking.
Hastings & Ryepublished at 23:05 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Simon Jenkins
BBC Sussex
I've been told a minute's silence will be held at the Hastings & Rye election count for Jeremy Birch, Hastings Borough Council leader, who died earlier this week.
Tributes have also been paid to Mr Birch throughout the day. He had been a member of the council since 1998 and the leader for a total of 13 years, over two separate periods.
He was being cared for in the Conquest Hospital after suffering what was thought to be a stroke.
South Thanetpublished at 22:59 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
The fight for South Thanet is a local contest with national ramifications.
Image source, Pete Dadds/Avalon/PA
UKIP leader Nigel Farage has said he will step down as party leader if he isn't elected.
Voters there could choose from 11 candidates including Ruth Bailey from the Manston Airport Independent Party and comedian Al Murray - who is standing in his guise as The Pub Landlord with pledges to make Thanet the capital city and that beer will cost "1p a pint".
Surrey Heathpublished at 22:50 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Louise Stewart
Political editor, South East
Based on the post-exit poll Michael Gove believes the Conservative Party have clearly won.
Image source, PA
Mr Gove is the sitting MP in Surrey Heath.
Maidstone & The Wealdpublished at 22:46 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
We've been sent this picture by Stuart Butler of counters ready for action in the Maidstone & The Weald constituency.
Image source, Stuart Butler
Maidstone has been held by the Conservative Party since 1906, most famously by the former prisons minister turned celebrity Ann Widdecombe who took the seat in 1987.
She stood down at the 2010 general election and was succeeded by Helen Grant.
Postpublished at 22:35 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Sussex has got several marginal seats including Brighton Kemptown, Hastings & Rye and Hove.
Out of those, Hastings is due to declare first at 04:00 BST, followed by Hove at 06:00 BST and Brighton Kemptown is expecting to give its results at 07:00 BST.
Political editor Louise Stewart has said the Tories know they are vulnerable in those coastal communities.
Rochester & Stroodpublished at 22:28 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Piers Hopkirk
BBC South East Today
I'm at an election count in Medway, which saw the Rochester & Strood by-election last autumn.
It's where former Tory MP Mark Reckless won the seat for UKIP last year.
Thanet Southpublished at 22:22 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Clare Tiptaft
BBC Radio Kent
The exit poll has put the Conservatives ahead on 316 seats, with Labour on 239 seats, the Liberal Democrats on 10, the SNP on 58 and UKIP on two as counting begins across the country.
BBC Kent reporter Clare Tiptaft tweeted, external: "Sharpe intake of breath here in #SouthThanet when the exit poll was revealed. Listen to @BBCRADIOKENT from 1am for all the results #RKVote"
Surrey Eastpublished at 22:13 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
We're expecting our first results to come in by 02:30 BST in Surrey East.
The seat has been held by the Conservative's Sam Gyimah since 2010.
Surrey East is 94% green belt and its largest towns are Caterham and Horley near the M25. Gatwick Airport is its largest single employer.
Postpublished at 22:05 British Summer Time 7 May 2015
Tanya Gupta
BBC News
Welcome to our live page for the general election 2015.
I'll be bringing you results, reaction and analysis as votes are counted for 44 seats across Kent, Sussex and Surrey. You can follow tweets using the hashtag #SEVote and email us your pictures and comments.