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Voting today on the EU referendum as Britain decides to stay or go

By: Paul Francis pfrancis@thekmgroup.co.uk

Published: 00:01, 23 June 2016

Voters are flocking to polling stations across Kent today to have their say in the EU referendum.

In Maidstone borough they are expecting 40,000 more voters than in a normal election, it's been revealed.

Voting is also reported as steady on Sheppey, with many people heading out to the polls ahead of predicted bad weather later today.

There was a problem with one polling station earlier when it had to be moved.

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A polling station in Gravesend

Warden Bay Village Hall was briefly closed when its car park flooded after heavy overnight rain.

Swale council says voters were redirected to the nearby Cavern pub.

However, everything was back to normal by 8.15am.

There have also been problems in Medway, with flooding at Frindsbury Cricket Club's field forcing the polling station there to move to St Philip's and St James' Church from 3pm.

Across the Medway Towns, 115 polling stations have been set up, three more than in the 2015 general election.

More than 152,000 polling cards have been delivered to Medway residents, and 230,150 ballot papers have been printed.

Voters are heading to the polls

In Gravesham, all 49 polling stations are reporting a steady stream of voters this morning, with people keen to have their say on whether we stay in, or leave, the EU.

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By last night, 73% (11,300) of the 16,000 postal votes issued in the area had been returned.

Volunteers at The Salvation Army polling station in The Grove said since opening three hours ago they have had more than 100 people come in to vote.

In Canterbury, most stations saw a steady trickle of voters this morning.

Extra booths had been laid on in many areas, but at Age Concern in Castle Street the rush hadn't started by 8am.

At St Dunstan's Church Hall at around the same time there was a greater flow - many people on their way to work or parents on the school run.

By mid-morning, they had given way to older voters enjoying retirement who could beat a more leisurely pace to the polling stations.

The Quakers meeting house on Union Street, Maidstone

To give an idea of the numbers, Rough Common's polling station at Maple House saw just four voters, two couples, in a 15-minute period just before 11am.

By 10am in the Quakers meeting house in Maidstone, around 100 people had turned up to vote - roughly 10% of the number registered to vote there.

A spokesman for Maidstone council said: “We aren’t able to give figures but it is fair to say that polling stations have been busier than they are for normal elections and a high turnout in the region of 100,000 is expected.

"We’re pleased to say that so far things are going smoothly.

“As with any poll, there are always a small number of who may have problems when they come to vote. Typically that’s 200 to 300 people out of the 60,000 or so people to vote."

There has been a steady flow of people voting in Deal. It has been very sunny despite heavy rain and thunder and lightning throughout the night.

Throughout the county counting takes place overnight, with the final result expected to be announced in the early morning tomorrow.

Votes in Kent will be counted and declared by local councils but will have to be validated by a regional count at Southampton before being formally announced.

The EU referendum was the single most important vote in a generation.

The count will start at 10pm but when each area declares its results is hard to say. The Electoral Commission has forecast the results in Kent will mostly be declared between 3am and 4am.

In Medway, the result is expected to be about 6am as it covers a larger area.

However, these forecasts should be treated with caution, especially as this is a unique election for the UK and if turnout is high - which many think it will be - the results could come much later.

The forecast for Kent declarations is:

Ashford: 4am

Canterbury: 4am

Dartford: 3.30am

Dover: 2am

Gravesham: 5am

Maidstone: 3am

Medway: 6am

Sevenoaks: 4am

Shepway: 3am

Swale: 4am

Thanet: 3am

Tunbridge Wells: 3am to 4am

Tonbridge and Malling: 4am

We will be having a full results service on www.kentonline.co.uk along with analysis and reaction from our reporters around the county.

You can keep up to date with our political editor Paul Francis on Twitter @PaulOnPolitics, via the @KentOnline twitter account, and through your local area's newspaper via the #euref hashtag.

Read more!

There will also be news on our radio station kmfm and our digital TV station KMTV.

Councils are expected to publish their results on their own websites.

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