European Elections: UK results expected at 10.30pm on Sunday

BRITAIN, Denmark, Ireland and the Netherlands vote in the European elections today. The remaining eight EU countries - Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal and Spain - vote on Sunday. Votes in all countries will not be counted until the polls close on Sunday. The first British results are expected at about 10.30pm on Sunday.

Britain is the only country to vote using the first-past- the-post system in single member constituencies. Ireland has transferrable votes in three or four member constituencies. All other countries have proportional representation with regional or national lists of candidates.

Today's election is the first in Britain in which foreigners can vote - leaving aside Irish citizens who have always had the vote in Britain. Nationals of EU countries permanently resident here can cast ballots in the British Euro poll; Britons resident in other EU countries can vote in the country where they live.