First NI assembly seats won - BBC Ulster Elections

[Screaming Lord Byron]

Just thought I'd put together a thread for the latest results in the Northern Irish Elections, if anyone is interested.
Conventional wisdom says Sinn Fein and the Democratic Unionists should be the largest parties.

'The first results have been announced in the Northern Ireland Assembly election.
Nigel Dodds and Peter Robinson of the Democratic Unionist Party topped the poll in North and East Belfast respectively.

Ulster Unionist Sir Reg Empey has also been elected in East Belfast and Sinn Fein's Gerry Kelly has won a seat in the north of the city.'

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/3242504.stm

[muriel_volestrangler]

1. exit poll puts the popular vote at:

Out of 1,500 people surveyed after casting their votes, 25% said they had given their first preference votes to the Ulster Unionists or the Democratic Unionists.

Sinn Fein secured 20% support, the SDLP got 16%, the cross community Alliance Party had 5%, the loyalist Progressive Unionist Party was on 2%, the Women’s Coalition and the UK Unionists had 1% support and other candidates secured 4%.

http://www.news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=2229067

But it is a complicated proportional vote system, so that may not mirror the eventual seat distribution.

[muriel_volestrangler]

2. first preference votes now counted

With all first preference votes now counted, the anti-Agreement DUP polled 26%.

Sinn Fein have 24%, the Ulster Unionists 23% and the SDLP 17% but the final breakdown of seats is still to be revealed.

...

The turnout for the election was 63.84%, compared to 68.8% in the 1998 Assembly election.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/low/northern_ireland/3242504.stm