The first ballot boxes have arrived at Mote Hall where the counting of votes is due to take place for the two seats of Maidstone and the Weald and Faversham and Mid Kent - but no counting of votes has yet begun.

Boxley Ward was the fastest - the box arrived at 10.10pm

The hall is divided into two, and the ballots for both constituencies will be counted simultaneously.

But first the tellers have to complete "stage 1" of the process - the verification that the number of ballot papers received matches the number of votes cast.

Stage 1 will be done for both the general election ballots, the borough election ballots and the parish election ballots, before stage 2 - the actual count - starts for the general election only.

Stage 1 is expected to take four hours.

Meanwhile the hall is filling up, though there is no sign yet of any candidates.

Each candidate is allowed to bring a number of supporters to supervise the vote-counting - and give moral support.