Voting begins in England’s Clacton by-election

Voting is underway in a by-election in the coastal town of Clacton in Essex, England, where a record 34 candidates are competing to become the constituency’s next MP, BBC reports.

Polling stations across the Essex constituency, which includes Jaywick, Frinton and Walton-on-the-Naze, opened at 07:00 BST and are due to close at 22:00.

Some 79,785 registered voters are eligible to cast their ballots. The 34 candidates include representatives of 12 political parties and 20 independents, making it the largest field of candidates in a British election.

Voters must show an accepted form of identification, such as a driving licence or passport, before casting their vote.

They will also receive a 90cm-long ballot paper, described by the BBC as the longest in British electoral history.

The constituency also includes rural villages such as St Osyth, Weeley and Great Bentley.

The count will take place overnight after polling stations close, with the result expected later.

By Aghakazim Guliyev