Sinn Féin has received the most first-preference votes
DUP vote has dropped dramatically while Alliance party has made big gains
Final seats will not be decided until later
The DUP and Sinn Féin are vying for the most seats. That comes with the entitlement to nominate the next first minister
The office of the first and deputy first minister is an equal one, but the allocation of titles is symbolically important
A unionist party has always been the largest in the assembly, and previously the parliament, since NI's formation in 1921
Alliance's John Blair has been re-elected in South Antrim on the second count.
He first joined the assembly in 2018 after he was co-opted to replace former party leader and Justice Minister David Ford.
He takes the second seat in the constituency.
If Sinn Féin wins the most seats, does that automatically mean it will be able to take on the first minister post?
Chris Buckler explainer
DUP's East Belfast MP Gavin Robinson says the party is "keep and eye on" Foyle.
"I think there is a recount there, we shall see how it goes. We are hoping that Gary [Middleton] is going to return. I think that Foyle requires a unionist representative, I think the city deserves a unionist representative."
There is speculation Gary Middleton and Ulster Unionist candidate Ryan McCready will be in contention for the fifth seat in the constituency.
For Mr Robinson, he also thinks West Belfast candidate Frank McCoubrey might still have an outside shot - despite not being the most transfer-friendly candidate.
"It’s a long shot, but I always like to keep a candle lit for our Frank," he says.
Gavin Robinson is keeping a candle lit for Frank McCoubrey
UUP leader Doug Beattie says the Northern Ireland Protocol has affected the election, along with the "nonsense about a border poll".
Beattie: Border poll fears affected UUP vote
Sinn Féin has received the most first-preference votes in the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election by a wide margin.
The party received 250,388 first preferences, compared with the 184,002 returned for the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP).
The DUP first preference vote has dropped by about 40,000.
The Alliance Party has increased its first preference vote by about 44,000 to 116,681.
Read more here.
BBC News NI's Julian Fowler says there's no sign of results yet in Fermanagh South Tyrone.
He's been told there has been a challenge from one of the candidates.
Ulster Unionist John Stewart has been elected on the third count in East Antrim.
He takes the first seat in the constituency.
Earlier his UUP running mate, Roy Beggs, was eliminated on the second count.
Speaking to Radio Ulster, Sinn Féin's director of elections John Finucane says there is "no reason why we can’t get back to work straight away".
"Stormont is sitting with over £330m in its coffers, and I don’t think there is any excuse whatsoever about why we cannot go back in and unlock that money," he says.
"People need to see the people that they voted for getting to work, working with other parties, dealing with the issues. That is what we set out very clearly to the electorate."
Asked if his party's strong showing is the result of SDLP supporters backing his party, Mr Finucane says "we said going into this campaign, there is no vote that belongs to any party",
"This was an election which was fought in the middle of a cost of living and a health crisis.
"We heard that a lot before the election, are going to be hearing that a lot after the election. Those issues aren’t going away. People need to see an executive."
Image source, ReutersSinn Féin's Jemma Dolan has been elected at the first count in Fermanagh and South Tyrone.
She topped the poll with 9,067 votes.
Laura Trueman
BBC News NI
Northern Ireland's chief electoral officer Virginia McVea says transfers are not moving as quickly as thought and that the counting of votes will move into a second day in all venues.
Ms McVea says she will wait until 10pm to call whether or not staff will be sent home at 11pm.
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There has been an interesting set of first preference votes in Foyle, with Sinn Féin's Padraig Delargy and the SDLP's Mark H Durkan both taking seats at the first count.
Focus will now turn to the battle between the SDLP's other candidates, Brian Tierney and incumbent Sinead McLaughlin, with less than 100 first preference votes between them, and the DUP's Gary Middleton and UUP's Ryan McCready, with speculation they could be in a battle for the constituency's final seat.
The quota in Foyle is 7,811.
Image source, PacemakerMichelle O'Neill and Sinn Féin Party President Mary Lou McDonald have arrived at the Titanic Exhibition centre and there is a media scrum.
Mary Lou McDonald briefly speaks to the press.
"Today is a good day - it's about change, it's about progress and partnership.
"We want to thank everyone for voting and being part of a democratic process in what is we believe is the election of a generation. We are here to serve everyone," she says.
She's asked about the prospect of calling for a border poll but won't be drawn.
“We are here to work hard for everyone”, she says. “I need to make my way through this melée first.”
"We are going to wait for the rest of the results to come in. It's not over till it's over."
Sinn Féin have returned all three of their candidates in Mid Ulster.
Emma Sheerin has been elected on the second count, alongside Linda Dillon.
The quota is 8,615.
Image source, Pacemaker
Image source, PacemakerSorcha Eastwood is close to winning a seat for Alliance in Lagan Valley.
She says she is "delighted" with how Alliance polled in the constituency.
"To get over 8,000 first preference votes is really strong and my running mate, David Honeyford, has polled very strongly too.
"I think people in Lagan Valley wanted people who would be there for them when it came to the big issues, whether it be cost of living or health, just being active on the ground."
She says her team knocked on 36,000 doors during its campaign.
"We knocked on an incredible number of doors but we don't just knock doors at election time," she adds.
At the count centre in Magherafelt, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP) leader Doug Beattie is celebrating the win of party colleague Robin Swann.
"He has shown his mettle as Northern Ireland's health minister and the people have rewarded him for that and I am chuffed for him," he tells BBC reporter Tara Mills.
Moving on to his own seat in Upper Bann, there have been whisperings that he might be in trouble but he feels that it's too early to know.
"I don’t feel in trouble, it's all very early and we have tallies which say that I am holding my own so we will see how it goes. Sometimes we predict things way too early," he adds.
However if there is a downside to this election it is the loss of Roy Beggs in East Antrim, he says.
Mr Beggs, who had been an MLA since 1998, lost his seat earlier.
Image source, PacemakerHowever, it is not all doom and gloom, he adds as the UUP share of the vote in that constituency has gone up by 2%.
Was running Tom Elliot and Rosemary Barton together a good idea?
"I think sometimes people don’t see where you use tactics - sometime you run two candidates to broaden the appeal of the base at election knowing that one may go out so one is supporting the other and vice versa.
"We may know we will only get one in but two candidates will broaden the appeal to more," he explains.
If Ms Barton loses then the party will have no female representation at Stormont.
The Ulster Unionist Party’s Robbie Butler has been elected in the second stage for Lagan Valley.
In the first count, he was just 264 votes off the quota.
He says he’s delighted with the result but paid tribute to his colleague Roy Beggs who lost his seat in east Antrim after being an MLA for over 20 years.
“I’m very sorry to lose Roy and he has been an incredible asset to the party,” he said.
Two Sinn Féin candidates in Newry and Armagh have been elected.
Outgoing Finance Minister, Conor Murphy, polled 9,847 first preference votes.
His running mate, Cathal Boylan was just 4 votes behind, with 9,843 first preference votes.
The quota is 9,815.
Ciara Colhoun
BBC News NI
Image source, PacemakerThe two Sinn Féin candidates who topped the poll in South Down say local issues helped pushed them across the line.
Sinead Ennis took 14,381 first preference votes with Cathy Mason taking 9,963 - the quota was 9,159.
Ms Ennis says voters had responded to their commitment to work together to improve healthcare and the cost of living crisis.
She says local issues such as the future of the Downe and Daisy Hill hospitals resonated with people on the doors.
“People said they want to see things done and we want to do that,” says Ms Mason.
The incoming MLAs said they were unsure about what to do next after an exhausting campaign.
“We don’t know whether to go out or go to bed.”
Ciara Colhoun
BBC News NI
People Before Profit’s Gerry Carroll is upbeat about his chances of getting a seat in Belfast West after polling 3,279 first preference votes.
However, six month old baby Feilimy, in his’ Vote Carroll’ onesie, was a little less upbeat as the first declaration for his dad’s constituency was made.
Sinn Féin’s Danny Baker topped the poll with 9,011 votes.
“We are still hopeful,” Gerry says.
“Smaller parties have been squeezed but we should have at least one seat.
“It’s not clear how the transfers will work in Derry.”
The Ulster Unionist Party's Robin Swann says his period as health minister during the Covid-19 pandemic shows his party has been able to demonstrate to the people of Northern Ireland what it can deliver.
Robin Swann: 'It's a good day for unionism in north Antrim'