General Election 2010: Hastings goes to the polls

After weeks of political posturing, the six candidates have just a few hours left to convince people to back them.

Polling booths across the town opened at 7am and the turn-out here in 1066 Country is expected to be up on the 60 per cent back in 2005.

Conservative Amber Rudd is favourite with the bookies; Lib Dem Nick Perry is pinning his hopes on the Clegg Effect; and Labour's Michael Foster will be hoping his record over the last 13 years is enough to convince people.

All three candidates are optimistic - but all three say they are not counting any chickens.

Candidates from UKIP, the English Democrats and the BNP will also be hoping to secure a good share of the vote.

A result is not expected until the early hours of tomorrow - and the Observer will be updating www.hastingsobserver.co.uk live from the count.

And, for anyone who cannot stay up, the Observer is also producing a supplement to accompany this week's paper. This will be available at newsagents from around mid-morning.

Voters are also being asked to select local councillors - with 16 seats up for grabs on Hastings Borough Council.

The result from that will be revealed tomorrow afternoon and again, the Observer will be on hand to publish the results online as and when they happen.

Over the last few days readers have been voting in online Observer polls.

A total of 52 per cent said they had found the televised leader debates useful, and 84 per cent said they had already decided who would get their vote by the beginning of this week.

Perhaps more interestingly, in our most recent poll - which attracted hundreds of votes - Labour were on top with 42 per cent, with the Conservatives just behind on 36 per cent.

The Lib Dems were third on 19 per cent and the BNP fourth on just 1 per cent.

Two per cent of readers had still not decided who to back.

Those were the results at just before 8am this morning and they are changing all the time as more people let us know who they are backing.

Still not made your mind up? Click HERE to see our in-depth look at all the candidates and their policies.