Northern Ireland Assembly election: What we know so far as Heaton-Harris set to call poll

The Northern Ireland public look to be heading to the polling booths to elect members of the legislative Assembly - for a second time this year.

That's the suggestion from the secretary of state after politicians were unable to nominate a speaker or a first and deputy first minister at Stormont on Thursday.

It was their fourth and last time opportunity to get the Assembly and an Executive back up and running before the six-month legal time frame to form a government passed on Thursday.

UTV takes a look at some of the key election facts and figures.

Why was there a deadline?

Before January 2020, a failure to fill the posts of first and deputy first minister within seven days of the first post-election sitting of a new Assembly saw the Government assume a legal duty to call another election within a reasonable timeframe.

Although that was the legal position after the March 2017 snap election which was triggered by the resignation of the late Sinn Féin deputy first minister Martin McGuinness, the Government never actually called another election.

Instead it opted to bring forward legislation which pushed back the requirement to call a poll during what became a three-year power-sharing vacuum.

New Decade, New Approach was the deal that restored devolution in January 2020.

It included provisions aimed at creating a greater degree of stability at Stormont in the event of another executive implosion and removed the seven-day "cliff edge" for forming a new administration, replacing it with a maximum timeframe of six months. The agreement also allowed departmental ministers to remain in post during that time.

That deadline ran out on Friday.

Sitting ministers were removed from office at midnight and the Government has assumed responsibility to call an election within 12 weeks.

Twice in one year

Voters in Northern Ireland last went to the polls to vote for Stormont on 5 May - 176 days ago.

If the secretary of state calls a second election before the end of the year, it'll be the first time voters will be called to vote for the assembly twice in one year.

Voters in Northern Ireland are well used to Assembly elections - to date they've been to the ballot box seven times to vote for MLAs: 1998, 2003, 2007, 2011, 2016, 2017, May 2022.

It's widely been tipped that the eighth Assembly election could well be held on 15 December.

Seats

There are 90 seats at the Assembly. Five MLAs are appointed from each of the 18 constituencies to represent those who elect them.

In May 2022, for the first time, a nationalist party became the largest party in Northern Ireland with Sinn Féin displacing the DUP.

Sinn Féin secured 27 seats, the DUP 25, Alliance 17, UUP 9, SDLP 8, TUV 1, PBP 1 and Independent 1.

The results meant Sinn Féin was entitled to the first minister's post, with the DUP in line for the deputy first minister's role.

The DUP maintained its block on the operation of a fully functioning executive and refused to nominate a deputy first minister due to the party's concerns over the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Cost

According to the NI Electoral Office, the assembly election in May 2022 cost £5.5million. Candidates also get access to funding which is around £2m.

It's estimating that another election may cost somewhere in the region of £6.5m.

That funding goes solely to the operation of the election itself and covers aspects like polling stations, counters and other supplying count centres.

Turn out and weather

The Northern Ireland public usually turnout in better numbers compared to other regions with an average turnout over 60%

During May's Stormont Assembly election the turnout was 63.52%.

Weather is something we're never guaranteed in Northern Ireland, especially not during the winter months.

It could be factor in turnout, but there's more research out there to show that the number of votes cast is usually dependent on how close a result may or may not be.

Turnout, however, for the March election in 2017 was 64%, while for the previous May it was 54%.

And what of my Christmas plans?

It won't be the first time NI has gone to the polls in December. There was the general election called by Boris Johnson in 2019 which secured the Conservative party a landslide victory. However it is the first time an Assembly poll has been called in the run up to the festive period.

While polling stations are yet to be determined, schools which close their doors to their pupils in order to act as polling stations are likely to once again be called upon. This is likely to throw up in the air plans for nativity plans in those schools.

Thousands of people are also needed to staff those polling stations and the counting centres - which could disrupt party plans for the festive season. The Electoral Office has already written to thousands of people to ask of their availability.

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