Counting has begun at Cookstown Leisure Centre tonight after a day of voting in the Mid Ulster by-election.
The race was sparked by deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness’s resignation as MP.
Sinn Fein representative Francie Molloy is standing to retain his colleague’s former seat. He is facing competition from Unionist unity candidate Nigel Lutton, Patsy McGlone of the SDLP and the Alliance Party’s Eric Bullick.
Mr Lutton is backed by the DUP, UUP and TUV. Victims campaigner William Frazer had initially indicated that he planned to stand in the by-election, but stood aside to allow Mr Lutton a clear run.
Early indications suggest a low voter turnout, with a result expected as early as 1am.
At the last general election in 2010, Martin McGuinness won the seat with 21,239 votes. The DUP’s Ian McCrea finished second with 5,876 votes, in third was SDLP candidate Tony Quinn followed by UCUNF candidate Sandra Overend who attracted 4,509 votes. Next was Walter Millar of the TUV with 2,995 votes and then Ian Butler of the Alliance Party with 397 votes. The turn out in 2010 was 63 per cent.
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