When is the EU referendum result announced? Will there be an official exit poll?
The Electoral Commission, who are in charge of overseeing the referendum, estimate the final result will be announced at 'breakfast time' on 24 June
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Your support makes all the difference.What time is the result?
Well, there’s no specific time. The Electoral Commission, which is in charge of overseeing the referendum, estimates the final result will be announced at “breakfast time” on Friday 24 June.
The count will get underway when the polls close at 10pm on 23 June at 382 local centres across the UK
These local results will be declared as the counts are completed before being collated at 12 regional centres, which will also declare to the totals for each side. The chief counting officer will then collate all the results and once they are approved – and declared – the referendum result will be announced.
You can view a full estimated breakdown of the result times on the Electoral Commission's website. Note that the latest estimated time on the register in some areas is at 7am.
Where will it be announced?
The chief counting officer will announce the result at Manchester Town Hall.
This was decided in December 2015 to “ensure value for money for the taxpayer” as the Electoral Commission chose to combine the event with one of the regional count collation centres rather than hosting a separate event.
Sir Howard Bernstein, counting officer for Manchester, said in December: “Manchester is honoured to have been chosen as the venue for this important democratic event in which there will be worldwide interest. We look forward to hosting the Electoral Commission and working with them to help deliver a successful event.”
They will also announce the national turnout.
Will there be a speech after the announcement in Manchester?
The Electoral Commission is in discussion with the campaign groups as to whether they want to make any speeches on the night. It is expected, however, that David Cameron will address the nation from Downing Street on June 24 – in the event of both a Leave and Remain vote.
Is there an official exit poll?
No.
But…
Britain’s hedge fund industry is commissioning private exit polls to get an early warning of the result – and trying to make a profit from it.
Electoral Commission rules allow exit polls on the day of a referendum so long as they are not published until polls close at 10pm. But that does not stop the funds themselves trying to profit from early indications of the result – by using the information to place bets on whether sterling will rise or fall depending on the result.
That in turn may move the market – giving the public an early indication of which way voting is going.
Polling companies have said demand is high for their private services on referendum day.
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