'˜In' or '˜Out' - how tomorrow's EU ballot result will be reached

Britain goes to the polls tomorrow to decide whether to leave or remain part of the EU.
Counting at Silksworth during last month's local elections.Counting at Silksworth during last month's local elections.
Counting at Silksworth during last month's local elections.

Passions are running high on both sides, and you’ll be able to follow all the results as they come in via our live blog.

But how will the results actually be determined?

Ballot boxes will start arriving at local count centres shortly after polls close at 10pm tomorrowBallot boxes will start arriving at local count centres shortly after polls close at 10pm tomorrow
Ballot boxes will start arriving at local count centres shortly after polls close at 10pm tomorrow

Across the North East, there are 1,934,228 registered voters (up by almost 30,000 on May’s local elections) and 1,034 polling stations.

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Stations will be open from 7am to 10pm. Anyone arriving after 10pm will not be able to vote, but those queuing will be able to do so.

There are 382 local Counting Officers (one for each local council, Northern Ireland and Gibraltar) and 11 Regional Counting Officers.

Sunderland’s count will be held at Silksworth Tennis Centre, Hartlepool’s at the Mill House Leisure Centre and the Temple Park Centre will be the venue for South Tyneside.

Ballot boxes will start arriving at local count centres shortly after polls close at 10pm tomorrowBallot boxes will start arriving at local count centres shortly after polls close at 10pm tomorrow
Ballot boxes will start arriving at local count centres shortly after polls close at 10pm tomorrow

Local Counting Officers will pass on the total from each venue to the Regional Counting Officer. Sunderland City Council’s Sue Stanhope will be the Regional Counting Officer for the North East.

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She said that while the city had earned a reputation for being first to declare nationwide in recent general elections, the priority was getting the result right: “Sunderland is the regional counting centre for the North East and expected to announce its count total after midnight.

“The prime aim for Sunderland is running an accurate and efficient referendum count for voters and the campaigners - if we happen to be first, that’s a bonus.

“Count totals from the 12 local areas in our region will be coming in during the early hours of Friday and a regional total for the North East could be announced around 4am to 5am. The national total is due around breakfast time.”

Each Regional Counting Officer will pull together all the local results into a regional total and submit it to the national Chief Counting Officer, Electoral Commission chairman Jenny Watson.

She will collate the regional totals into a national result, which will be declared at Manchester Town Hall on Friday morning.