The final hours of the general election will see candidates returning to their constituencies to await their results, with votes starting to be counted after polling stations close at 10pm.

Ballot boxes will be sealed and taken to The Crystal Centre in Stourbridge where council officials will begin the process of verification.

During verification officials check that all ballot papers issued at polling stations, plus all postal votes, have been brought in to be counted. Verification also provides the turnout figure for the election, which can be checked against all the votes cast to ensure all votes have been counted.

The turnout figure is important to candidates and their agents because it can give a first official indication about how many people have voted.

Candidates and their agents will be looking for early clues about how many votes they received and in some areas a high or low turnout is regarded as useful information about how much support may have been gained.

Another big clue about the outcome of the election will come with the release of exit poll data at 10pm. Exit polls are where people are asked who they voted for as they leave polling stations - however it is illegal to publish that data until polling stations have closed.

In recent elections the exit poll carried out by Ipsos and used by all major broadcasters has accurately predicted the outcome.

In 2019 the 10am exit poll suggested the Conservatives would win 362 seats and Labour would get 191, the actual result was 365 for the Tories and 203 for Labour.

There are 650 seats in the House of Commons so the major parties will both be keen to see a prediction of more than 326 – the magic number for overall control.

Following verification the process of counting votes will begin. Votes will be collected in bundles and put into boxes for each party so candidates and agents will be watching closely to see which boxes fill up fastest.

Once all the votes are counted candidates will be called together to scrutinise any spoiled ballot papers or papers where there is doubt about who the elector has voted for.

Candidates will also be told the result and if there is just a few votes difference they can ask for a recount to check the accuracy of the outcome.

Once the result is agreed the outcome of the election will be declared in public by the officer in charge of the election.

Without a recount the results for all three constituencies in the Dudley borough - Halesowen, Stourbridge and Dudley, are likely to be known at around 3:30am. However if a recount is required, that result could be much later.