Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor

Staying with the Hampshire County Council count and Sally Yalden, standing for the Liberal Democrats in Baddesley, says she is feeling “cautiously optimistic” this evening.

She says it’s been a long campaign, but she’s feeling positive while votes are counted.

In the last election, the Liberal Democrats took 17 seats in Hampshire, but five years later, they’re holding 19. How many seats they will have after tonight, we’re yet to find out.

Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor

“It was a long shot for any of us to win here in the Test Valley but polls across the nation are looking good for the Greens”, says the Green Party’s Connor Edward Shaw at the Hampshire County Council count.

In the last election, the Greens won no seats, but Connor appears optimistic. He says conversations on the doorstep have been good, with a recent “influx” of members.

Neranjana Elapatha
BBC South, Reading

Now here is one we weren't expecting to see tonight - Napoleon in the local elections count in a basketball arena in Reading!

But here is Pascual Jean Louis, an independent candidate, walking around with his hat and his beige suit engraved with tank military buttons and United Kingdom, Canada, United States and the French flags on his chest pocket.

He has had a interesting background, working as an HGV driver for film sets that included transporting costumes for films like Harry Potter and Mission Impossible. He is now a driver for pilot and cabin crew and says he would like to be the President of France.

Could Napoleon really become a Reading councillor? Unlikely but you never know. Vive-la France!

As we wait for the first results to start coming in, lets look at some of the issues that people have been voting on. BBC Radio Berkshire spoke to representatives of the five major parties about issues affecting Reading.

Victoria Walton
Oxfordshire political reporter

There could be a father and daughter combo on Oxford City Council as Labour's Emily Lygo is standing in the Headington ward, hoping to join her father Mark Lygo who is already a councillor and not up for election tonight.

Tristan Pascoe
Political Reporter

In Southampton, the verification process is underway.

This process checks that all ballot papers (both in-person and postal) are included in the count, and establishes the official total that the final count must match.

Accuracy at this stage is essential, as any errors will create discrepancies that take time to resolve and can delay the overall counting process.

Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor

At the Hampshire County Council count in Andover, Reform's Harry Sheffield is feeling “very, very positive”.

Reform UK’s feedback on the doorstep has been “really quite astonishing”, he’s told us.

Of course, it’s the first time Reform UK has stood in Hampshire but the party has held one seat after Councillor Barry Dunning defected from the Conservative Party last year. Fast forward to tonight and Reform UK has members standing in every ward.

A quick look at the national picture so far. There is still a long way to go and you can follow our colleagues bringing you results from around the UK here.

Patrick Hughes
BBC South, in Portsmouth

Our first visit to Portsmouth tonight, with this update from our reporter Patrick Hughes.

It's not long since I arrived here at Portsmouth Guildhall, and the boxes of ballot papers weren't long coming in behind me.

Lingering in the foyer when I arrived were some of the candidates - some new faces and some veterans. You can read the nerves and anticipation on their faces as they chat with each other.

There's a total of 42 seats on this council, but there's only 14 up for grabs tonight. The Lib Dems, whose leader also leads the council, hold 19 of the seats here - and all eyes will be on whether they cling onto that leadership.

Everyone's settled in now and the press pack here have got their ears open, but at the minute all we're hearing is the swishing of ballot papers through the hands as the volunteers get started on the long count.

Victoria Walton
Oxfordshire political reporter

Let's head back to Oxford now and there are some very tired looking politicians gathering at the town hall tonight. And with more than three hours until the last result is due to be announced, the coffee is flowing.

On the surface, the Lib Dems and Greens seem to be the happiest of the parties. Labour is defending 11 of the 24 seats up for grabs, so definitely has the most to lose.

Lib Dem leader, Chris Smowton, tells me if there is a significant change in seats, he'll be talking with greens over the weekend into possibly forming a coalition administration... time will tell.

Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor

During the campaign I went out onto the streets of the south to speak to voters about the issues that mattered to them.

Emily Hudson
BBC South political editor

"Honestly, feeling a bit nervous, it could be a tough night."

The words of Hampshire County Council leader Nick Adams-King who has arrived at the count here at Andover Leisure Centre and is meeting his other Conservative candidates.

He's spent the day touring Hampshire and making social media videos with Conservative colleagues in a final push for votes.

The County Council is run by the Conservatives and has been continuously since 1997 but there's a definite feeling the party might not hit the 30 year mark and if Hampshire ends up with no overall control, with Lib Dems, Conservatives and Reform all having similar number of seats, it will be a question of who is willing to work together. My prediction? Reform may find themselves lonely.

Patrick O'Hagan
Political reporter, Berkshire

Elections have been held in Reading and Wokingham with one in three councillors facing the voters, so do not expect any fireworks.

Labour were way out in front in Reading, while in Wokingham it is likely to be a tighter race between the ruling Liberal Democrats and the Conservatives.

As for what voters told us they cared about, the pressure to build thousands more houses across Wokingham remained of huge concern to local people.

While in Reading transport issues, car parking charges and more general cost-of-living pressures were some of the topics that tempted people into the polling booth.

Image source, Getty Images

In the next few hours we will start to get a picture of the new political makeup of the South of England.

We have reporters covering the counts taking place in Hampshire, Oxfordshire and Berkshire.

Overnight we expect results from Reading Borough Council, Oxford City Council, Hampshire County Council, Portsmouth City Council, Southampton City Council, Havant Borough Council, Gosport Borough Council, Fareham Borough Council, Eastleigh Borough Council and Hart District Council.

Counting for Isle of Wight Council, Winchester City Council, Rushmoor Borough Council, Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council, Wokingham Borough Council, West Oxfordshire District Council and Cherwell District Council is taking place during the day on Friday.

Elections have taken place at Oxford City Council, Cherwell District and West Oxfordshire District Council.

They are all lower-tier authorities reponsible for housing, planning and waste collection.

But on the doorsteps it was often the state of the roads, low traffic neighbourhoods and the Oxford congestion charge that came up for discussion - even though those are actually the responsibility of Oxfordshire County Council.

More here.

Image source, Getty Images

Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor

Hampshire County Council seats are being counted first overnight and with all seats up here, literally anything could happen.

The Conservatives have run the council since 1997 so it would be seismic if they lose control. The Conservatives have been painting it as a Conservative/Reform race. The Lib Dems as a Lib Dem/Conservative race. The question is how many seats the Conservative lose and to who. Will it be enough for another party to take over outright? Or just a no overall control situation where parties have to work together to form a cabinet and select a leader?

After the county ballot papers are done, then in some areas, the tellers turn to the districts and boroughs (not in Winchester and Rushmoor, they get to go home and have a sleep and come back tomorrow). The ones to watch are Havant and Gosport. Reform have pushed hard there, won by-elections and are hopeful of taking control.

In Portsmouth, Labour losing seats could spell the end of the minority Liberal Democrat administration after Labour supported the Lib Dems in selecting a leader and cabinet. Will Reform UK do well there? The last by-election was won by them, but most of their current crop of councillors are there because they defected, not because they were elected.

Southampton City Council is a Labour strongholds, but could a shock be on the cards? Might the Greens or Lib Dems take some seats?

But councillors in Hampshire will serve just two years with new unitary authorities taking over in 2028.

Image source, Getty Images

Victoria Walton
Oxfordshire political reporter

Ballot boxes are arriving in Oxford, where 24 seats are being contested meaning one councillor in each ward is up for election.

The vote counting will take place throughout the night but anyone expecting results by 03:00 BST could be optimistic!

Sophie Cridland
BBC South, in Havant

Ballot boxes have been arriving at the leisure centre in Havant.

Most are coming in by car and volunteers are running the boxes in as candidates gather at the table for their ward, patiently watching the votes being counted.

People supporting party members are stood in groups in each corner of the sports hall.

Emily Hudson
BBC South Political Editor

At local elections councils can end up in no overall control (NOC) where no one party gets enough seats to declare themselves victorious.

So then what happens?

To be in the party in control with a majority, you have to end up with at least half the number of total seats on the council plus one.

The plus one means you've always got the casting vote if a decision is divided, so you can run the council without support from other parties.

You can find out what that could mean in the south here.

While we wait for results to start coming in, lets take a look at where elections are taking place and what could happen.

Find out more here.