Haringey council count starts at 9:30 am for 57 seats across 21 wards

*TL;DR: Ballot verification for Haringey’s council election kicks off at 9:30 am, with 57 seats in 21 wards up for grabs and split votes counted on “grass skirts” once 20 votes are recorded.

Haringey residents will elect councillors for 57 seats spread over 21 wards. The elected officials will shape council policy for the next four years.

Verification of ballots starts at 9:30 am. Officials will open ballot boxes, count papers, and cross‑check totals against the Presiding Officer’s records. This step confirms turnout figures for each ward before the actual count begins.

After verification, votes are sorted into two streams. Block votes occur when a voter uses all allotted votes for candidates from a single party that has fielded exactly as many candidates as there are vacancies. Split votes happen when a voter selects candidates from multiple parties or uses fewer votes than allowed. Split votes are placed on a “grass skirt” sheet; once 20 votes accumulate on a sheet, they are tallied.

Any doubtful ballot enters an adjudication process, where officials decide if it can be counted. Once all votes for a contest are counted, double‑checked, and agreed upon by the Returning Officer and party agents, results are declared. Publication times may vary by ward, with outcomes posted on the council’s website and social media.

The count’s two‑stage design—verification followed by detailed tallying—aims to ensure accuracy and transparency. Residents can follow live updates online and will receive a full results summary in the upcoming edition of *Haringey People Extra*.

What to watch next: Early results from larger wards may set the tone for council control, while any close contests will trigger recounts and further scrutiny.