Elections 2022: How the BBC reports polling day

The BBC, like other broadcasters, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or election issues while the polls are open on Thursday for elections in Scotland, Wales, England and Northern Ireland.

The BBC is required by electoral law to adopt a code of practice, ensuring fairness between candidates, and that is particularly important on polling day.

The code of practice is contained in more detailed election guidelines which are written and published for each election, and they include guidance about polling day.

On polling day, the BBC does not report on any of the election campaigns from 00:30 BST until polls close at 22:00 BST on TV, radio or bbc.co.uk, or on social media and other channels.

However, online sites do not have to remove archived reports, including, for instance, programmes on iPlayer. Any lists of candidates and the guide to parties' policies remain available online during polling day.

Coverage of what is happening on the day is usually restricted to uncontroversial factual accounts, such as the appearance of politicians at polling stations, or the weather.

It tends to focus on giving information that will help voters with the process of going to polling stations.

Subjects which have been at issue or part of the campaign - or other controversial matters relating to the election - must not be covered on polling day itself; it's important that the BBC's output cannot be seen to be directly influencing the ballot while the polls are open.

The BBC, however, is still able to report on other political events and stories which are not directly related to the elections.

No opinion poll on any issue relating to politics or the election can be published until after the polls have closed.

While the polls are open, it is a criminal offence to publish anything about the way in which people have voted in that election.

From 22:00 BST normal reporting of the election resumes.