Vote 2012: Viewer's guide to timings

<bold>Elections are being held in 181 local councils in England, Scotland and Wales on Thursday. </bold>There are also mayoral elections in London, Liverpool and Salford and referendums on whether to introduce elected mayors in 10 English cities. Doncaster is holding a referendum on whether to abolish the system of elected mayors. Here are the expected key timings:

THURSDAY 3 MAY (all timings BST)

  • <bold>7am:</bold> Polls open in mayoral, London Assembly, Scottish, Welsh and English local elections

  • <bold>10pm: </bold>Polls close. Counting begins in majority of English and Welsh local elections and in some Scottish councils. Liverpool mayor count takes place overnight. Only mayoral referendums in Bradford, Coventry, Manchester, Nottingham and Wakefield count overnight

  • <bold>11.30pm:</bold> Results begin to come in from some of the early declaring English councils

FRIDAY 4 MAY - MORNING (all timings approximate: BST)

  • <bold>0200:</bold> A picture of the results in England and Wales begins to emerge

  • <bold>0300: </bold>First projected national share of the vote for the main parties expected

  • <bold>0400:</bold> Liverpool mayoral result

  • <bold>0600: </bold>Results in from broadly two thirds of councils polling in England and Wales

  • <bold>0700: </bold>Results likely to be in from Bradford, Coventry, Manchester, Nottingham and Wakefield mayoral referendums

  • <bold>0900:</bold> 80 councils - including 32 from Scotland - begin counting on Friday morning, along with Salford mayor race

  • <bold>1000: </bold>Bristol mayoral referendum count begins. Sheffield and Newcastle mayoral counts also underway

  • <bold>1100: </bold>Results begin to come in from councils that did not count overnight

FRIDAY 4 MAY - AFTERNOON (all timings approximate: BST)

  • <bold>1230: </bold>Count begins in vote to abolish Doncaster mayor

  • <bold>1300: </bold>Results in from a number of councils, mainly in Scotland, that began counting on Friday morning

  • <bold>1400: </bold>Birmingham mayoral referendum count begins. Leeds mayor referendum count also underway. Counting underway in London

  • <bold>1700: </bold>Results expected to be in from every council election, apart from Glasgow and Woking

  • <bold>1900:</bold> Glasgow result due, first London Assembly seats may start to be declared

  • <bold>2000: </bold>Woking result due

  • <bold>2300: </bold>London Mayor and Assembly result expected

<bold>· All the latest election results are available at </bold> <link> <caption>bbc.co.uk/vote2012</caption> <altText>BBC Vote 2012 special report and results service</altText> <url href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17270000" platform="highweb"/> </link>