Polls closed at 10pm in the Clacton by-election, where Nigel Farage faces a record 33 contenders, including comedy candidate Count Binface, in a contest triggered by his own resignation from the Commons.
The vote, expected to cost the taxpayer around £250,000, was prompted by the Reform UK leader quitting as an MP earlier this summer. He was facing a Commons probe into the failure to declare a £5million gift he received from Thai-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne ahead of the 2024 general election.
Farage's 'people versus establishment' bid
Mr Farage was seen arriving to cast his vote in Walton-on-the-Naze, Essex, on Thursday in the contest he attempted to frame as a "people versus the establishment" showdown. But he was left embarrassed as his political stunt backfired last month, with Reform UK's major rivals at Westminster, including Labour and the Tories, boycotting the contest.
Despite the boycott, Mr Farage still faces a record 33 contenders, including three from the Official Monster Raving Loony Party and an array of independents.
Result expected after 5am
The result of the contest is expected after 5am on Friday morning, with counting underway at Clacton. The Mirror's political correspondent Dave Burke is at the count, and the result could come between 5am and 6am, but may be later.
Mr Farage quit as an MP in June in an attempt to stage the showdown in his own backyard of Clacton. The political stunt backfired as major rivals boycotted the contest, leaving him facing a string of comedy candidates.
