Analysis Ben Lowry: Nationalists win the most votes, even when smaller independent unionist candidates are included

​For the first time in a Northern Ireland-wide election, the nationalist vote was larger than the unionist one.
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(Scroll down for a list of the party by party vote and percentage totals)

Sinn Fein, the SDLP and Aontu combined got 302,560 votes, or 40.6% of the 745,515 votes. The DUP, Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), Traditional Unionist Vote (TUV) and Progressive Unionist Party (TUV) got 285,620 votes, or 38.3% of the total.

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Some pundits think there are more independent unionist candidates who poll in the thousands than nationalists. For example, two councillors who were elected in Ards and North Down, Steven Irvine and Wesley Irvine (unrelated) polled 2,832 votes between them, more than the PUP and 0.4% of the entire NI vote. But while all such independents would push the unionist total closer to 40% than the headline main-party figure suggests, there is also a case to be made that People Before Profit (PBP) is a republican party. While it does not designate as either unionist or nationalist at Stormont, it says that it advocates a “32-county socialist Ireland” and backs a border poll. The party took a more hardline stance on the coronation of King Charles than Sinn Fein, and issued a scathing statement about the “repulsive symbol” of monarchy on the day that SF attended the crowning.

Ballot boxes at last week's count in Banbridge. Some pundits think there are more independent unionist candidates who poll in the thousands than nationalists. But while all such independents would push the unionist total closer to 40% than the headline main-party figure suggests, there is also a case to be made that People Before Profit is a republican partyBallot boxes at last week's count in Banbridge. Some pundits think there are more independent unionist candidates who poll in the thousands than nationalists. But while all such independents would push the unionist total closer to 40% than the headline main-party figure suggests, there is also a case to be made that People Before Profit is a republican party
Ballot boxes at last week's count in Banbridge. Some pundits think there are more independent unionist candidates who poll in the thousands than nationalists. But while all such independents would push the unionist total closer to 40% than the headline main-party figure suggests, there is also a case to be made that People Before Profit is a republican party

If added to the main nationalist party total, the overall nationalist vote climbs to 41.6% of the total. However a total analysis of all 800 candidates would be a huge undertaking and has rarely if ever been done in a council election. Scores of independents would have to be contacted to see if they consider themselves nationalist or unionist. Short of such an analysis, a precise tally of first preference votes vis a vis the constitutional question is impossible (outline first preference vote totals below).

Here are first preference votes and percentages:

SF: 230,793 (31%)

DUP: 173,033 (23.3%)

Alliance: 99,251 (13.3%)

UUP: 81,282 (10.9%)

SDLP: 64,996 (8.7%)

TUV: 29,202 (3.9%)

Green (NI): 12,692 (1.7%)

PBP: 8,059 (1%)

Aontu: 6,771 (0.9%)

PUP: 2,103 (0.3%)

Others: 37,333 (5%)

Total: 745,515