Enda McClafferty
BBC News NI political editor

The focus was whether or not Sinn Féin was going to emerge as the largest party, whether or not the DUP was going to shift any loses in terms of the number of seats and also what was going to happen about the much-predicted Alliance surge.

The early indications are, if we look at what the tally men and women are telling us of the picture that's emerging, it looks like it's going to be a challenging day for the DUP and it looks like it's going to be a good day for the Alliance Party.

It looks like it's also going to be a challenging day for the Green Party, SDLP also facing a difficult day, as is the UUP.

It looks as if Sinn Féin are going to be sitting comfortably, perhaps with one or two headaches.

TUV leader Jim Allister will be in a pretty happy place right now, because it looks as if there's going to be a rise in the TUV vote.

Asked if he's worried at this early stage of vote counting, DUP MP Gavin Robinson says "politics has been difficult over the last number of years".

"Politics isn't where we wish it to be," he says.

"So, in a number of seats it is very tight.

"Where we've been doing well, there's a good sense of positivity. There's a sense of achievement amongst some of our colleagues.

"It is true to say there are interesting dynamic shifts taking place under the surface outside of the big parties.

"It is almost too early to give any great predictions."

Boris Johnson has been making his first comments on the local election results, admitting the Conservatives had a "tough night".

He was also asked about the Northern Ireland Protocol - the post-Brexit arrangement to prevent a border on the island of Ireland.

Mr Johnson said it was important that "we continue to support the balance of the Good Friday Agreement across all communities in Northern Ireland".

"Whatever arrangements we have, they have got to have cross-community support, that's what the Good Friday Agreement is all about, that's what the government is going to do," he said.

He adds: "But as for the rest... we'll have to wait and see what the results are in Northern Ireland."

Image source, PA Media

Gareth Gordon
BBC News NI Political Correspondent

Not a single result has been declared and everything you hear comes with a health warning, but Sinn Féin went into this election as favourites and nothing we are seeing so far changes that.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) vote appears to be holding up and the Alliance surge appears to be a reality.

But the Ulster Unionists and the SDLP have reason to be glum, and Jim Allister’s Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) believes it is in with a chance in Strangford among other constituencies.

And it’s also believed some big names could be in trouble, but as always, much could come down to the 5th seat, and that could be much, much later on.

Grainne Connolly
BBC News NI

There’s plenty of hustle and bustle at the Jordanstown count centre this morning.

With five constituencies to be declared – we’ll have the latest on who the newly elected representatives will be for Lagan Valley, North Down, East Antrim, North Antrim and South Antrim.

Counting is well underway and so far we know the turnout for East Antrim was 60.11%, 60.13% in North Down, 62.51% in North Antrim and 60.03% in South Antrim.

There’s plenty of names to look out for at Jordanstown, with Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson standing in Lagan Valley, alongside his colleague Paul Givan.

Then in North Down we’ve the former DUP MLA, now Independent, Alex Easton.

Image source, Pacemaker

Chris Page
BBC News Ireland correspondent

In Northern Ireland, ballot boxes have been opened, spreadsheets are being loaded up, and cups of coffee are being poured as candidates, journalists and count staff settle in for a long day.

Votes are being counted at three centres - in Belfast, Jordanstown, and Magherafelt - to decide how 90 seats are filled across 18 constituencies.

Polls in advance of the election suggested Sinn Féin could replace the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) as the largest party in the devolved assembly.

That would mean that Sinn Féin's vice-president, Michelle O’Neill, would become the first Irish nationalist to be in line to take the position of first minister.

The Alliance Party is set for strong gains, which may see it rise from fifth to at least third in the Stormont stakes.

However, any hopes a power-sharing government will be formed soon after the results look to be very slim.

The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) has said it is staying out of the Stormont Executive unless the Brexit trade border with the rest of the UK - the Northern Ireland Protocol - is scrapped.

Sammy Wilson, a DUP MP in the House of Commons, has stepped up the rhetoric this morning, telling BBC Radio Ulster that “the Assembly cannot function if the poison of the protocol is still there".

Davy Wilson
BBC News NI

Image source, bbc

There’s seven constituencies to be declared in Magherafelt and counting is now well underway.

It’s being eagerly watched and scrutinised by the tally men - and it is mostly men - keen to get a pre-declaration insight into how their candidate and party has done.

This is where two political party leaders - Michelle O'Neill and Doug Beattie - will learn their fate.

Mr Beattie is already in the count centre.

Ms O’Neill is likely to arrive later.

Image source, bbc

We are beginning to get turnout figures for some constituencies.

In Belfast South and Belfast North the figures are broadly the same as five years ago at 64.4% and 61.7% respectively.

Belfast West is down by 2.1 percentage points to 64.7% while in East Antrim it is exactly the same as in 2016 at 60.1%.

Votes for the Northern Ireland Assembly started being counted on Friday morning.

The first preference votes are expected around lunchtime today and the results will follow this afternoon and throughout the evening.

A full list of results as they come in can be found here.

Image source, Getty Images

Good morning and welcome to our live coverage of the results of the 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election.

Follow all the twists and turns with our coverage throughout the day.

Stay tuned!