# 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election

The 2022 Northern Ireland Assembly election was held on 5 May 2022. It elected 90 members to the Northern Ireland Assembly. It was the seventh assembly election since the establishment of the assembly in 1998. The election was held three months after the Northern Ireland Executive collapsed due to the resignation of the First Minister, Paul Givan of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), in protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.
In the sixth assembly, elected in 2017, eight parties had Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs): the DUP, latterly led by Jeffrey Donaldson; Sinn Féin, led by Michelle O'Neill; the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP), latterly led by Doug Beattie; the Social Democratic and Labour Party (SDLP), led by Colum Eastwood; Alliance, led by Naomi Long; the Greens, led by Clare Bailey; People Before Profit (PBP), which has a collective leadership; and the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), led by Jim Allister.
Sinn Féin became the largest party, marking the first time an Irish nationalist/republican party won the most seats in an assembly election in Northern Ireland, and has the right to nominate Northern Ireland's first nationalist First Minister. The DUP's vote share dropped almost 7% and it lost three seats; despite this, unionists won two more seats than nationalists—37 seats to 35—and a marginally higher share of the vote. Alliance made large gains, as the only party to gain seats at the election, overtaking the UUP and the SDLP to become the third-largest party in the Assembly. The Greens lost both seats they held before the election and were unrepresented in the Assembly for the first time since 2003.
As Northern Ireland's government is based on power-sharing, the DUP (the largest unionist party) was required to nominate a deputy First Minister for the Executive to be formed and the Assembly to conduct business; however, they refused to do so due to their opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol and post-Brexit trading arrangements. It wasn't until 31 January 2024 that the DUP and UK Government announced a deal had been struck to revive the Executive, and on 3 February 2024 the Assembly swore in Sinn Fein First Minister Michelle O'Neill and DUP deputy First Minister Emma Little-Pengelly.

## Background
### Electoral events

In May 2013, Theresa Villiers, Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, announced that the next Assembly election would be postponed to May 2016, and would be held at fixed intervals of five years thereafter. Section 7 of the Northern Ireland (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2014 specifies that elections will be held on the first Thursday in May on the fifth calendar year following that in which its predecessor was elected, which would be 5 May 2022; however, there are several circumstances in which the Assembly can be dissolved before the date scheduled by virtue of section 31(1) of the Northern Ireland Act 1998.
In June 2016, the UK voted to leave the European Union, although Northern Ireland voted to remain. The process of withdrawal held particular uncertainty for Northern Ireland due to the potential for customs on the UK–Ireland border. Meanwhile, an early election was held to the Northern Ireland Assembly in March 2017. After the election, Sinn Féin stated that it would not return to a power-sharing arrangement with the Democratic Unionist Party without significant changes in the party's approach, including Arlene Foster not becoming First Minister until an investigation into the Renewable Heat Incentive scandal was complete. Over the next few years, the deadline to form an executive was repeatedly extended as negotiations continued with no success.
On 18 April 2017, Theresa May, Prime Minister of the UK, called for a general election to be held on 8 June 2017. The Conservative Party lost its parliamentary majority and sought a confidence and supply agreement with the DUP in order to remain in government. The DUP and the Conservatives reached an agreement on 26 June.
In 2019, the UK experienced significant political turbulence over the question of how to proceed with Brexit. The European Parliament election in May 2019 saw the Alliance Party take the third MEP place from the Ulster Unionist Party (UUP). DUP support for the Conservative government broke down with disagreements over the government's Brexit plans. The Conservative government sought a new election, held in December 2019, which they won with a large majority. In Northern Ireland, for the first time, traditional Irish nationalist parties won more seats than traditional unionist parties. The SDLP and Alliance returned to the House of Commons, while the DUP and Sinn Féin saw vote share declines of more than 5%.
A DUP/Sinn Féin executive was re-established on 10 January 2020 with the New Decade, New Approach (NDNA) agreement, forestalling an immediate new election. By the end of February 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic was confirmed to have spread to Northern Ireland.
On 15 January 2022, the UK government was accused of interfering in the election by reintroducing dual mandates, which had been abolished in 2016. This would enable MPs like Donaldson to have seats in Stormont as well as Westminster, but plans were withdrawn four days later.

### Leadership changes

On 28 April 2021, Arlene Foster announced that she would be resigning as DUP leader on 28 May and First Minister in June 2021 after more than 20 DUP MLAs and four DUP MPs signed a letter "...voicing no confidence in her leadership". Edwin Poots narrowly won the subsequent May 2021 DUP leadership election, but announced his resignation 21 days later. The runner-up in the election, Jeffrey Donaldson, stood unopposed in the June 2021 DUP leadership election and with no other candidates the party chose not to hold a ballot (some parties still do a leadership vote or ballot with one candidate with the other option to re-open nominations). Donaldson was ratified as the party's leader on 30 June 2021. Meanwhile, after Poots elected not to replace Foster as First Minister, Paul Givan took up the position on 17 June 2021.
Steve Aiken announced his resignation as leader of the UUP on 8 May 2021, with Doug Beattie taking up the post nine days later after standing unopposed.

### Northern Ireland Protocol

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a protocol to the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement that governs the unique customs and immigration issues at the border in the island of Ireland between the United Kingdom and the European Union, and on some aspects of trade in goods between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom. Its terms were negotiated in 2019 and agreed and concluded in December 2020. Due to a thirty-year internecine conflict in Northern Ireland known as The Troubles, the UK–Ireland border has had a special status since that conflict was ended by the Belfast Agreement/Good Friday Agreement of 1998. As part of the Northern Ireland Peace Process, the border has been largely invisible, without any physical barrier or customs checks on its many crossing points; this arrangement was made possible by both countries' common membership of both the European Single Market and EU Customs Union, and of their Common Travel Area.
The DUP threatened to pull out of Stormont's power-sharing government on 9 September 2021, triggering a snap election "within weeks" unless the protocol was scrapped. Donaldson warned: "I say not as a threat but as a matter of political reality that our political institutions will not survive a failure to resolve the problems the Protocol has created." The following week, SDLP leader Colum Eastwood accused the DUP of having a "petulant strop" and called for a new law to stop an early election. He told peers that the "delicate constitutional balance" in Northern Ireland was "too fragile for people to play games with".
On 3 February 2022, Givan resigned as First Minister in protest over the protocol, which automatically resulted in the Deputy First Minister losing her role and the Northern Ireland Executive collapsing. Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said that the UK government would "reform" the protocol if the EU did not, whilst it was also reported that Westminster was planning legislation that would give ministers powers to abolish the protocol altogether. During a rally in Ballymena on 30 April, TUV leader Jim Allister said that the Executive would not be returning unless the protocol was removed.

### Calls for early election

Following the collapse of the Assembly, Sinn Féin and the DUP both called for the election to be brought forward, but the UUP, SDLP and Alliance Party opposed the idea. Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis ruled out an early election, saying that the priority was to get the Assembly up and running again. Two weeks later, however, Lewis claimed there was "a real risk" that the Executive would not return after the election.

## Candidates

Nominations opened on 29 March 2022 for the assembly election and closed on 8 April 2022.
A total of 239 candidates contested the 90 available seats in the Assembly, an increase from 228 in 2016. Eighty-seven women ran as candidates in the election, which is the highest number in history. The seats were spread over 18 constituencies, with each constituency having five seats. The election was conducted using the single transferable vote system.
The table below lists all of the nominated candidates.
* * indicates an incumbent MLA
* ** indicates the candidate is the incumbent MLA for a different constituency
* ^ indicates a former MLA who was not a member at the dissolution of the 2017–22 Assembly
* Leaders of parties represented in the assembly at dissolution are shown in bold text
* Elected candidates are marked with an (E)
| Constituency | DUP | SF | SDLP | UUP | Alliance | TUV | Green | PBP | Aontú | Independent | Others |
| Belfast East | David Brooks (E) Joanne Bunting* (E) | Mairéad O'Donnell | Charlotte Carson | Andy Allen* (E) Lauren Kerr | Naomi Long* (E) Peter McReynolds (E) | John Ross | Brian Smyth | Hannah Kenny | | | Karl Bennett (PUP) Eoin MacNeill (WP) |
| Belfast North | Phillip Brett (E) Brian Kingston (E) | Gerry Kelly* (E) Carál Ní Chuilín* (E) | Nichola Mallon* | Julie-Anne Corr-Johnston | Nuala McAllister (E) | Ron McDowell | Mal O'Hara | Fiona Ferguson | Seán Mac Niocaill | Stafford Ward | Billy Hutchinson^ (PUP) Lily Kerr (WP) |
| Belfast South | Edwin Poots* (E) | Deirdre Hargey* (E) | Matthew O'Toole* (E) Elsie Trainor | Stephen McCarthy | Paula Bradshaw* (E) Kate Nicholl (E) | Andrew Girvin | Clare Bailey* | Sipho Sibanda | Luke McCann | Elly Odhiambo | Paddy Lynn (WP) Neil Moore (SP) |
| Belfast West | Frank McCoubrey | Danny Baker (E) Órlaithí Flynn* (E) Aisling Reilly* (E) Pat Sheehan* (E) | Paul Doherty | Linsey Gibson | Donnamarie Higgins | Jordan Doran | Stevie Maginn | Gerry Carroll* (E) | Gerard Herdman | Gerard Burns Declan Hill Tony Mallon | Patrick Crossan (WP) Dan Murphy (IRSP) |
| East Antrim | David Hilditch* (E) Gordon Lyons* (E) | Oliver McMullan^ | Siobhán McAlister | John Stewart* (E) Roy Beggs Jr* | Stewart Dickson* (E) Danny Donnelly (E) | Norman Boyd^ | Mark Bailey | | | | |
| East Londonderry | Maurice Bradley* (E) Alan Robinson (E) | Caoimhe Archibald* (E) Kathleen McGurk | Cara Hunter* (E) | Darryl Wilson | Chris McCaw | Jordan Armstrong | Mark Coulson | Amy Merron | Gemma Brolly | Claire Sugden* (Ind U) (E) Niall Murphy Stephanie Quigley Billy Stewart | Russell Watton (PUP) |
| Fermanagh and South Tyrone | Deborah Erskine* (E) Paul Bell | Jemma Dolan* (E) Colm Gildernew* (E) Áine Murphy* (E) | Adam Gannon | Tom Elliott^ (E) Rosemary Barton* | Matthew Beaumont | Alex Elliott | Kellie Turtle | Emmett Kilpatrick | Denise Mullen | Derek Backhouse Emma DeSouza | Donal O'Cofaigh (CCLA) |
| Foyle | Gary Middleton* (E) | Pádraig Delargy* (E) Ciara Ferguson* (E) | Mark H. Durkan* (E) Sinead McLaughlin* (E) Brian Tierney | Ryan McCready | Rachael Ferguson | Elizabeth Neely | Gillian Hamilton | Shaun Harkin | Emmet Doyle | Anne McCloskey | Colly McLaughlin (IRSP) |
| Lagan Valley | Jeffrey Donaldson^ (E) Paul Givan* (E) | Gary McCleave | Pat Catney* | Robbie Butler* (E) Laura Turner | Sorcha Eastwood (E) David Honeyford (E) | Lorna Smyth | Simon Lee | Amanda Doherty | | Gary Hynds | |
| Mid Ulster | Keith Buchanan* (E) | Linda Dillon* (E) Michelle O'Neill* (E) Emma Sheerin* (E) | Patsy McGlone* (E) | Meta Graham | Claire Hackett | Glenn Moore | Stefan Taylor | Sophia McFeely | Alixandra Halliday | Patrick Haughey | Conor Rafferty (Resume NI) Hugh Scullion (WP) |
| Newry and Armagh | William Irwin* (E) | Cathal Boylan* (E) Liz Kimmins* (E) Conor Murphy* (E) | Justin McNulty* (E) | David Taylor | Jackie Coade | Keith Ratcliffe | Ciara Henry | | Daniel Connolly | Gavin Malone | Nicola Grant (WP) |
| North Antrim | Paul Frew* (E) Mervyn Storey* | Philip McGuigan* (E) | Eugene Reid | Robin Swann* (E) Bethany Ferris | Patricia O'Lynn (E) | Jim Allister* (E) Matthew Armstrong | Paul Veronica | | | Laird Shingleton | |
| North Down | Stephen Dunne* (E) Jennifer Gilmour | Thérèse McCartney | Déirdre Vaughan | Alan Chambers* (E) Naomi McBurney | Connie Egan (E) Andrew Muir* (E) | John Gordon | Rachel Woods* | | | Alex Easton* (Ind U) (E) Chris Carter Ray McKimm | Matthew Robinson (Con) |
| South Antrim | Pam Cameron* (E) Trevor Clarke* (E) | Declan Kearney* (E) | Roisin Lynch | Steve Aiken* (E) Paul Michael | John Blair* (E) | Mel Lucas | Lesley Veronica | Jerry Maguire | Róisín Bennett | Andrew Moran | |
| South Down | Diane Forsythe (E) | Sinéad Ennis* (E) Cathy Mason (E) | Colin McGrath* (E) Karen McKevitt^ | Jill Macauley | Patrick Brown (E) | Harold McKee^ | Noeleen Lynch | Paul McCrory | Rosemary McGlone | Patrick Clarke | |
| Strangford | Harry Harvey* (E) Michelle McIlveen* (E) Peter Weir* | Róisé McGivern | Conor Houston | Mike Nesbitt* (E) Philip Smith^ | Kellie Armstrong* (E) Nick Mathison (E) | Stephen Cooper | Maurice Macartney | | | Ben King | |
| Upper Bann | Jonathan Buckley* (E) Diane Dodds* (E) | John O'Dowd* (E) Liam Mackle | Dolores Kelly* | Doug Beattie* (E) Glenn Barr | Eóin Tennyson (E) | Darrin Foster | Lauren Kendall | | Aidan Gribbin | | Glenn Beattie (Heritage) |
| West Tyrone | Tom Buchanan* (E) | Nicola Brogan* (E) Declan McAleer* (E) Maolíosa McHugh* (E) | Daniel McCrossan* (E) | Ian Marshall | Stephen Donnelly | Trevor Clarke | Susan Glass | Carol Gallagher | James Hope | Barry Brown Paul Gallagher | Amy Ferguson (SP) |

## Members not seeking re-election

The following MLAs announced that they would not stand for re-election.
| MLA | Constituency /region | First elected or co-opted | Party | Date announced |
| Trevor Lunn | Lagan Valley | 2007 | Independent | 22 February 2021 |
| Emma Rogan | South Down | 2017 | Sinn Féin | 19 May 2021 |
| Sinéad Bradley | South Down | 2016 | SDLP | 24 May 2021 |
| Alex Maskey | Belfast West | 1998 | Sinn Féin | 5 August 2021 |
| Chris Lyttle | Belfast East | 2010 | Alliance | 29 October 2021 |
| Robin Newton | Belfast East | 2003 | DUP | 2 February 2022 |
| George Robinson | East Londonderry | 2003 | DUP | 17 March 2022 |
| William Humphrey | Belfast North | 2010 | DUP | 17 March 2022 |
| Paula Bradley | Belfast North | 2011 | DUP | 17 March 2022 |
| Paul Rankin | Lagan Valley | 2022 | DUP | 17 March 2022 |
| Jim Wells | South Down | 1998 | Ind. Unionist | 23 March 2022 |

## Campaign

The Sinn Féin campaign avoided talk of a united Ireland, instead focusing on "bread and butter" issues. Sinn Féin called for a £230 payment to help people with the cost of living. A threat to destroy a Sinn Féin billboard was reported to the police. The Social Democratic and Labour Party's campaign had reportedly been difficult. Candidate Elsie Trainor was attacked by youths in Belfast who also hurled sectarian abuse. Leader Colum Eastwood urged tactical voting. Aontú was the only Irish nationalist party to campaign on an anti-abortion platform.
The Democratic Unionist Party campaign focused on their opposition to the Northern Ireland Protocol, Sinn Féin and the prospect of a referendum on Irish unity. The Traditional Unionist Voice said that opposing the Northern Ireland Protocol is "top priority". They received a number of defections from the DUP. In contrast to the DUP, the Ulster Unionist Party leader Doug Beattie said a united Ireland would not happen in his or his children's lifetime, thus "we can set it aside in order to concentrate on the issues affecting the daily lives of our people who live here". All three unionist leaders attended a series of rallies against the Protocol. In March, Beattie announced he would continue to oppose the Protocol but would no longer take part in the rallies. Beattie said they had been hijacked by loyalists to raise tensions "that now see a resurgence in UVF activity". Following this, his constituency office in Portadown was attacked, and an election poster with a noose around his neck appeared at a loyalist rally in Lurgan.
The Alliance Party advocated reform of the Stormont institutions to remove the designation system and avoid a "cycle of collapse". It also advocated health reform and the introduction of a child payment scheme to support people with the cost of living. The party further promised to build Casement Park, positioned itself as the "centre ground" and campaigned in constituencies west of the River Bann, where they have never won any seats.
The Green Party pledged the establishment of a bill of rights, an independent Environmental Protection Agency, and rent controls. The People Before Profit manifesto was launched on 22 April. In it, they promised a £1,000 to help with cost of living. On 30 April, PBP candidate Hannah Kenny was attacked by three men in East Belfast, who also subjected her to "sectarian and misogynistic" abuse.
On 13 April, it was reported that the Police Service of Northern Ireland had been notified of 41 political poster incidents.
Televised debates between the party leaders were held on 1 May and 3 May.
2022 Northern Ireland Assembly debates :
| Date scheduled | Organisers | Moderator(s) | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | P Present | Audience | Ref. |
| Date scheduled | Organisers | Moderator(s) | DUP | SF | SDLP | UUP | Alliance | Audience | Ref. |
| 1 May | UTV | Marc Mallett | P Donaldson | P O'Neill | P Eastwood | P Beattie | P Long | Yes | |
| 3 May | BBC One Northern Ireland | Jim Fitzpatrick | P Donaldson | P O'Neill | P Eastwood | P Beattie | P Long | Yes | |
* ↑ Donaldson was elected to the Assembly but declined to take up his seat. Emma Little-Pengelly was co-opted to the seat in his place.
* ↑ Eastwood sits in the House of Commons as the MP for Foyle
* ↑ Denotes a main invitee attending the event.

## Opinion polls

| Date(s) conducted | Pollster | Client | Sample size | DUP $^U$ | SF $^N$ | UUP $^U$ | SDLP $^N$ | APNI $^O$ | TUV $^U$ | Green $^O$ | PBP $^O$ | Aontú $^N$ | Other | Lead |
| 5 May 2022 | 2022 Assembly election | – | – | 21.3% | 29.0% | 11.2% | 9.1% | 13.5% | 7.9% | 1.9% | 1.1% | 1.5% | 3.5% | 7.7% |
| 16–26 Apr 2022 | Social Market Research | University of Liverpool/Irish News | 1,270 | 18.2% | 26.6% | 12.1% | 10.5% | 18.2% | 5.7% | 2.9% | 2.1% | TBD | | 8.4% |
| 22–24 Apr 2022 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 1,708 | 20% | 26% | 14% | 10% | 14% | 9% | 3% | 2% | TBD | 2% | 6% |
| 11–26 Mar 2022 | Social Market Research | University of Liverpool/Irish News | 1,000 | 20.2% | 27.0% | 13.6% | 10.2% | 14.7% | 5.4% | 4.3% | 2.1% | 0.3% | 2.2% | 6.8% |
| 18–21 Mar 2022 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 3,281 | 19% | 26% | 13% | 11% | 16% | 9% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 2% | 7% |
| 25 Jan – 7 Feb 2022 | Social Market Research | University of Liverpool/Irish News | 1,002 | 19.4% | 23.2% | 14.0% | 9.9% | 15.6% | 6.4% | 6.3% | 2.3% | 0.3% | 2.6% | 3.8% |
| 3 Feb 2022 | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister | Paul Givan resigns as First Minister |
| 14–17 Jan 2022 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 3,112 | 17% | 25% | 14% | 11% | 14% | 12% | 3% | 1% | 1% | 2% | 8% |
| 5–11 Nov 2021 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 3,298 | 18% | 24% | 14% | 12% | 15% | 11% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 2% | 6% |
| 21–29 Oct 2021 | Social Market Research | University of Liverpool | 1,002 | 20.6% | 23.5% | 13.0% | 11.4% | 17.3% | 5.6% | 3.9% | 1.0% | 0.7% | 2.4% | 2.9% |
| 20–23 Aug 2021 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 2,403 | 13% | 25% | 16% | 13% | 13% | 14% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 2% | 9% |
| 30 Jun 2021 | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Jeffrey Donaldson becomes leader of the Democratic Unionist Party |
| 17 Jun 2021 | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister | Paul Givan becomes First Minister |
| 17 May 2021 | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Doug Beattie is elected leader of the Ulster Unionist Party |
| 14–17 May 2021 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 3,072 | 16% | 25% | 14% | 12% | 16% | 11% | 2% | 2% | 0% | 2% | 9% |
| 14 May 2021 | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party | Edwin Poots is elected leader of the Democratic Unionist Party |
| 22–25 Jan 2021 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 2,295 | 19% | 24% | 12% | 13% | 18% | 10% | 2% | 1% | 0% | 1% | 5% |
| 2–5 Oct 2020 | LucidTalk | Belfast Telegraph | 1,961 | 23% | 24% | 12% | 13% | 16% | 6% | 3% | 2% | 0% | 1% | 1% |
| 31 Jan 2020 | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union | The United Kingdom leaves the European Union |
| 11 Jan 2020 | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established | The Executive is re-established |
| 12 Dec 2019 | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election | United Kingdom general election |
| 9 Nov 2019 | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party | Steve Aiken becomes leader of the Ulster Unionist Party |
| 23 May 2019 | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election | European Parliament election |
| 2 May 2019 | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections | Local elections |
| 23–26 Feb 2018 | LucidTalk | Northern Slant | 2,079 | 33.6% | 32.4% | 10.3% | 8.6% | 8.0% | 2.3% | 1.9% | 1.7% | – | 1.7% | 1.2% |
| 1–4 Dec 2017 | LucidTalk | GUE/NGL | 2,079 | 33.7% | 32.8% | 8.9% | 8.6% | 7.9% | 1.1% | 2.2% | 1.1% | – | 3.7% | 0.9% |
| 8–11 Sep 2017 | LucidTalk | N/A | 2,080 | 35.5% | 31.2% | 9.6% | 9.4% | 8.6% | 1.3% | 1.7% | 1.5% | – | 1.3% | 4.3% |
| 2 Mar 2017 | 2017 Assembly election | – | – | 28.1% | 27.9% | 12.9% | 11.9% | 9.1% | 2.6% | 2.3% | 1.8% | – | 3.6% | 0.2% |
* (U): Unionist, (N): Nationalist, (O): Other

## Results

Votes were counted on 6 and 7 May. Sinn Féin became the largest party, marking the first time an Irish nationalist/republican party had won the most seats in an election in Northern Ireland, and has the right to nominate Northern Ireland's first nationalist First Minister. As Northern Ireland's government is based on power-sharing, the DUP (as second-largest party) must nominate a deputy First Minister for the Executive to be formed; however, they said they will not do so until their issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol are dealt with.
The DUP's vote share dropped almost 7% and lost three seats; despite this, unionists won two more seats than nationalists—37 seats to 35—and a marginally higher share of the vote. This being said, socialist party People Before Profit—who returned one candidate to the Assembly—favour a united socialist Ireland, though they officially designated themselves as Socialist, rather than Nationalist or Unionist, on the electoral register. Indeed, both nationalist parties (4) and unionist parties (3) lost seats overall to 'Others', who gained 7 seats for their highest ever proportion of seats in the assembly, 18 seats, or 20% of those available, despite both Green candidates losing their seat. Unionist parties lost greater combined vote share, losing just over 2.5% of the total vote, whereas nationalist parties (including newcomers Aontú) lost only around 0.5% of vote share combined.
Alliance achieved their highest ever first-preference vote share in an Assembly election, becoming the third-largest party in the Assembly and adding over 50% to their vote share, going from 9% to over 13.5%. They overtook the UUP (who lost one seat) and the SDLP (who lost four), who both received their lowest ever vote shares. The TUV also achieved their highest vote share, tripling their share and up 5% from the last election, but they did not win any more seats. The Greens lost both seats they held before the election and were shut out of the Assembly for the first time since 2003. Alex Easton, who left the DUP in 2021, was re-elected as an independent unionist, as was the returning former Justice Minister, Claire Sugden. Colum Eastwood believed SDLP voters gave their support to Sinn Féin in this election, saying "there's a tide there and people wanted to send a message, they wanted to kick the DUP and I think this is how they decided to do it".
Seats :
| Party | Party | Votes | % | +/– | Assembly | +/– | Executive | +/– |
| | Sinn Féin | 250,388 | 29.02 | +1.1 | 27 | – | 5 | +1 |
| | Democratic Unionist Party | 184,002 | 21.33 | -6.7 | 25 | -3 | 4 | -1 |
| | Alliance Party of Northern Ireland | 116,681 | 13.53 | +4.5 | 17 | +9 | 2 | +1 |
| | Ulster Unionist Party | 96,390 | 11.17 | -1.7 | 9 | -1 | 1 | – |
| | Social Democratic and Labour Party | 78,237 | 9.07 | -2.9 | 8 | -4 | 0 | -1 |
| | Traditional Unionist Voice | 65,788 | 7.63 | +5.0 | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Green Party Northern Ireland | 16,433 | 1.90 | -0.4 | – | -2 | – | – |
| | Aontú | 12,777 | 1.48 | New | – | New | – | – |
| | People Before Profit | 9,798 | 1.14 | -0.6 | 1 | – | – | – |
| | Progressive Unionist Party | 2,665 | 0.31 | -0.4 | – | – | – | – |
| | Irish Republican Socialist Party | 1,869 | 0.22 | New | – | New | – | – |
| | Workers' Party | 839 | 0.10 | -0.1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Cross-Community Labour Alternative | 602 | 0.07 | -0.3 | – | – | – | – |
| | Socialist Party | 524 | 0.06 | New | – | New | – | – |
| | Northern Ireland Conservatives | 254 | 0.03 | -0.3 | – | – | – | – |
| | Heritage Party | 128 | 0.01 | New | – | New | – | – |
| | Resume Party | 13 | 0.00 | New | – | New | – | – |
| | Independent | 25,315 | 2.93 | +1.1 | 2 | +1 | – | – |
| Total | Total | 862,703 | 100.00 | – | 90 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Valid votes | Valid votes | 862,703 | 98.73 | | | | | |
| Invalid/blank votes | Invalid/blank votes | 11,078 | 1.27 | | | | | |
| Total votes | Total votes | 873,781 | 100.00 | | | | | |
| Registered voters/turnout | Registered voters/turnout | 1,373,731 | 63.61 | | | | | |

### Distribution of seats by constituency

Party affiliation of the five Assembly members returned by each constituency. The first column indicates the party of the Member of the House of Commons (MP) returned by the corresponding parliamentary constituency in the 2019 United Kingdom general election under the first-past-the-post voting method.
| Party of MP, 2019 | Party of MP, 2019 | Constituency | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats |
| Party of MP, 2019 | Party of MP, 2019 | Constituency | Total | | | | | | | | | | Gained by | Formerly held by |
| Party of MP, 2019 | Party of MP, 2019 | Constituency | Total | PBP | Green | Sinn Féin | SDLP | APNI | UUP | DUP | TUV | Ind. | Gained by | Formerly held by |
| | DUP | North Antrim | 5 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | – | Alliance | DUP |
| | DUP | East Antrim | 5 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – | Alliance | UUP |
| | DUP | South Antrim | 5 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| | Sinn Féin | Belfast North | 5 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | 2 | – | – | Alliance | SDLP |
| | Sinn Féin | Belfast West | 5 | 1 | – | 4 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – |
| | SDLP | Belfast South | 5 | – | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | 1 | – | – | Alliance | Green |
| | DUP | Belfast East | 5 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – | – | – |
| | Alliance | North Down | 5 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | Ind. U. | DUP |
| | Alliance | North Down | 5 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | Alliance | Green |
| | DUP | Strangford | 5 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – | Alliance | DUP |
| | DUP | Lagan Valley | 5 | – | – | – | – | 2 | 1 | 2 | – | – | Alliance | SDLP |
| | DUP | Upper Bann | 5 | – | – | 1 | – | 1 | 1 | 2 | – | – | Alliance | SDLP |
| | Sinn Féin | South Down | 5 | – | – | 2 | 1 | 1 | – | 1 | – | – | Alliance | SDLP |
| | Sinn Féin | Newry and Armagh | 5 | – | – | 3 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Sinn Féin | Fermanagh & South Tyrone | 5 | – | – | 3 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Sinn Féin | West Tyrone | 5 | – | – | 3 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | Sinn Féin | Mid Ulster | 5 | – | – | 3 | 1 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | SDLP | Foyle | 5 | – | – | 2 | 2 | – | – | 1 | – | – | – | – |
| | DUP | East Londonderry | 5 | – | – | 1 | 1 | – | – | 2 | – | 1 | – | – |
| Total | Total | Total | 90 | 1 | 0 | 27 | 8 | 17 | 9 | 25 | 1 | 2 | | |
| Change since 2017 | Change since 2017 | Change since 2017 | – | – | –2 | – | –4 | +9 | –1 | −3 | – | +1 | – | – |
| Elected on 2 March 2017 | Elected on 2 March 2017 | Elected on 2 March 2017 | 90 | 1 | 2 | 27 | 12 | 8 | 10 | 28 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Elected on 5 May 2016 | Elected on 5 May 2016 | Elected on 5 May 2016 | 108 | 2 | 2 | 28 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 38 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Elected on 5 May 2011 | Elected on 5 May 2011 | Elected on 5 May 2011 | 108 | 0 | 1 | 29 | 14 | 8 | 16 | 38 | 1 | 1 | – | – |
| Elected on 7 March 2007 | Elected on 7 March 2007 | Elected on 7 March 2007 | 108 | – | 1 | 28 | 16 | 7 | 18 | 36 | – | 1 | 1 Prog. U. | – |
| Elected on 23 November 2003 | Elected on 23 November 2003 | Elected on 23 November 2003 | 108 | – | – | 24 | 18 | 6 | 27 | 30 | – | 1 | 1 Prog. U. | 1 UKUP |
| Elected on 25 June 1998 | Elected on 25 June 1998 | Elected on 25 June 1998 | 108 | – | – | 18 | 24 | 6 | 28 | 20 | – | 4 | 2 Prog. U. | 5 UKUP, 2 NIWC |

### Share of first-preference votes

Percentage of each constituency's first-preference votes. Absolute majorities are in bold. The constituencies are arranged in the geographic order described for the table above; click the icon next to "Constituency" to see them in alphabetical order.
The totals given here are the sum of all valid ballots cast in each constituency, and the percentages are based on such totals. The turnout percentages in the last column, however, are based upon all ballots cast, which also include anything from twenty to a thousand invalid ballots in each constituency. The total valid ballots' percentage of the eligible electorate can correspondingly differ by 0.1% to 2% from the turnout percentage.
All constituencies were five-seat constituencies, with members elected under the Single transferable vote system. The quota in each constituency was therefore approximately 16.67% of the vote in the constituency. However, in some cases, despite a party gaining more than that share of the vote, imperfect transfer discipline between candidates meant that a seat was not automatically gained.
| Member of Parliament, 2019 | Member of Parliament, 2019 | Member of Parliament, 2019 | Constituency | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats | Northern Ireland Assembly seats |
| Party | Party | Proportion of vote | Constituency | | | | | | | | | | | | Total votes | Eligible elector- ate | Turn- out |
| Party | Party | Proportion of vote | Constituency | PBP | Aontú | Sinn Féin | SDLP | Green | APNI | UUP | DUP | TUV | Ind. | Others | Total votes | Eligible elector- ate | Turn- out |
| | DUP | 47.4% | North Antrim | | | 18.5 | 3.8 | 0.7 | 9.5 | 20.5 | 25.7 | 21.3 | 0.1 | | 51,220 | 81,935 | 62.5% |
| | DUP | 45.3% | East Antrim | | | 9.1 | 3.0 | 1.9 | 23.1 | 24.2 | 29.6 | 9.1 | | | 40,693 | 67,699 | 60.1% |
| | DUP | 35.3% | South Antrim | 0.6 | 1.4 | 20.1 | 6.9 | 1.2 | 16.0 | 17.9 | 25.9 | 9.6 | 0.6 | | 46,195 | 76,950 | 60.0% |
| | Sinn Féin | 47.1% | Belfast North | 2.3 | 1.4 | 35.5 | 7.8 | 3.1 | 9.5 | 5.7 | 24.3 | 7.3 | 1.1 | 2.0 | 46,796 | 75,801 | 61.7% |
| | Sinn Féin | 53.8% | Belfast West | 7.5 | 4.0 | 63.7 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 2.1 | 1.1 | 9.5 | 1.8 | 0.8 | 3.0 | 44,440 | 68,727 | 64.7% |
| | SDLP | 57.2% | Belfast South | 1.3 | 1.7 | 20.3 | 15.8 | 8.7 | 24.9 | 6.5 | 15.4 | 4.1 | 0.2 | 1.1 | 47,306 | 73,497 | 64.4% |
| | DUP | 49.2% | Belfast East | 1.2 | | 3.2 | 1.1 | 5.3 | 32.4 | 15.2 | 32.1 | 7.1 | | 2.4 | 43,840 | 70,123 | 62.5% |
| | Alliance | 45.2% | North Down | | | 1.7 | 1.7 | 6.6 | 28.9 | 12.4 | 19.9 | 3.8 | 24.5 | 0.6 | 42,198 | 70,176 | 60.1% |
| | DUP | 47.2% | Strangford | | | 3.9 | 6.0 | 2.0 | 24.1 | 15.2 | 33.8 | 12.7 | 0.3 | | 41,345 | 70,775 | 58.4% |
| | DUP | 43.1% | Lagan Valley | 0.5 | | 5.3 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 24.3 | 19.3 | 34.7 | 6.8 | 1.4 | | 51,543 | 81,562 | 63.2% |
| | DUP | 41.0% | Upper Bann | | 1.0 | 29.4 | 6.5 | 0.8 | 11.5 | 15.3 | 27.5 | 8.4 | | 0.2 | 56,954 | 91,149 | 62.5% |
| | Sinn Féin | 32.4% | South Down | | 1.0 | 44.3 | 16.5 | 0.8 | 12.6 | 5.2 | 11.8 | 6.0 | 0.2 | | 55,631 | 84,046 | 66.2% |
| | Sinn Féin | 40.0% | Newry & Armagh | | 2.0 | 47.0 | 10.6 | 0.5 | 5.7 | 6.6 | 12.9 | 9.2 | 5.4 | 0.3 | 59,693 | 87,156 | 68.5% |
| | Sinn Féin | 43.3% | Fermanagh & S. Tyrone | 0.2 | 1.7 | 44.7 | 7.1 | 0.6 | 5.3 | 15.5 | 17.7 | 5.8 | 0.7 | 1.1 | 54,560 | 78,963 | 69.1% |
| | Sinn Féin | 40.2% | West Tyrone | 0.8 | 1.4 | 47.0 | 11.9 | 0.6 | 6.5 | 4.1 | 14.4 | 9.1 | 3.9 | 0.4 | 46,629 | 69,702 | 66.9% |
| | Sinn Féin | 45.9% | Mid Ulster | 0.4 | 2.5 | 52.7 | 10.0 | 0.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | 16.5 | 7.4 | 1.7 | 0.2 | 52,274 | 75,168 | 69.5% |
| | SDLP | 57.0% | Foyle | 5.6 | 4.3 | 32.8 | 30.8 | 0.5 | 4.7 | 8.0 | 8.8 | 1.1 | 1.8 | 1.6 | 47,674 | 77,343 | 61.6% |
| | DUP | 40.1% | East Londonderry | 0.8 | 2.5 | 25.6 | 8.3 | 0.8 | 7.5 | 5.9 | 26.9 | 6.7 | 13.0 | 2.1 | 44,796 | 72,959 | 61.4% |
| Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | Northern Ireland | 1.1 | 1.5 | 29.0 | 9.1 | 1.9 | 13.5 | 11.2 | 21.3 | 7.6 | 2.9 | 0.8 | 873,781 | 1,373,731 | 63.6% |
| Change since 2017 | Change since 2017 | Change since 2017 | Change since 2017 | −0.7 | +1.5 | +1.1 | −2.8 | −0.4 | +4.4 | −1.7 | −6.8 | +5.0 | +1.1 | −1.0 | +60,998 | +119,022 | −1.2% |
| Election of March 2017 | Election of March 2017 | Election of March 2017 | Election of March 2017 | 1.8 | | 27.9 | 11.9 | 2.3 | 9.1 | 12.9 | 28.1 | 2.6 | 1.8 | 1.8 | 812,783 | 1,254,709 | 64.8% |
| Election of May 2016 | Election of May 2016 | Election of May 2016 | Election of May 2016 | 2.0 | | 24.0 | 12.0 | 2.7 | 7.0 | 12.6 | 29.2 | 3.4 | 3.9 | 3.3 | 703,744 | 1,281,595 | 54.9% |
| Election of May 2011 | Election of May 2011 | Election of May 2011 | Election of May 2011 | | | 26.9 | 14.2 | 0.9 | 7.7 | 13.2 | 30.0 | 2.5 | 2.2 | 2.3 | 661,736 | 1,210,009 | 55.6% |
| Election of March 2007 | Election of March 2007 | Election of March 2007 | Election of March 2007 | | | 26.2 | 15.2 | 1.7 | 5.2 | 14.9 | 30.1 | | 3.8 | 2.8 | 690,313 | 1,107,904 | 62.9% |
| Election of Nov. 2003 | Election of Nov. 2003 | Election of Nov. 2003 | Election of Nov. 2003 | | | 23.5 | 17.0 | 0.4 | 3.7 | 22.7 | 25.7 | | 5.6 | 2.8 | 692,026 | 1,097,526 | 63.1% |
| Election of June 1998 | Election of June 1998 | Election of June 1998 | Election of June 1998 | | | 17.6 | 22.0 | 0.1 | 6.5 | 21.3 | 18.1 | | 10.9 | 3.5 | 823,565 | 1,178,556 | 69.9% |

### Incumbents defeated

| Defeated MLA | Party | Constituency | New MLA | Party |
| Roy Beggs Jr | UUP | East Antrim | Danny Donnelly | Alliance |
| Dolores Kelly | SDLP | Upper Bann | Eóin Tennyson | Alliance |
| Peter Weir | DUP | Strangford | Nick Mathison | Alliance |
| Pat Catney | SDLP | Lagan Valley | David Honeyford | Alliance |
| Clare Bailey | Green (NI) | Belfast South | Kate Nicholl | Alliance |
| Mervyn Storey | DUP | North Antrim | Patricia O'Lynn | Alliance |
| Rosemary Barton | UUP | Fermanagh and South Tyrone | Tom Elliott | UUP |
| Nichola Mallon | SDLP | Belfast North | Nuala McAllister | Alliance |
| Rachel Woods | Green (NI) | North Down | Connie Egan | Alliance |

## Aftermath

Shortly before the final results were announced, O'Neill said: "Today ushers in a new era. Irrespective of religious, political or social backgrounds, my commitment is to make politics work." Donaldson stated that the Executive would not sit unless the Northern Ireland Protocol was removed. He later announced that he would not take his Assembly seat, which was co-opted by Emma Little-Pengelly, and the DUP would not be nominating a Speaker until the UK government took "decisive action".
The SDLP responded by accusing the DUP of treating voters with contempt and "mak[ing] our electoral process look like a bad joke". Naomi Long, leader of Alliance, said DUP Assembly Members should not be allowed to claim their salary while they prevented the Assembly from functioning. These disagreements continued a political crisis from before the election, prompting Prime Minister Boris Johnson to visit Northern Ireland to discuss amendments to the Protocol.
The Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) refused to resume power sharing due to its stance on the protocol. In the absence of an executive being formed, a new election should be called. However, the UK government got primary legislation passed three times to extend the deadline. Multiple negotiations with the DUP and the agreement of the Windsor Framework with the EU failed to produce a resolution.
However, on 30 January 2024, the DUP announced that it had accepted a deal (conditional on legislation being passed by the UK government) that saw it agreeing to form an executive. The Assembly first met on 3 February 2024, which saw Emma Little-Pengelly confirmed as Deputy First Minister, and Michelle O'Neill confirmed as First Minister, with a new executive formed the same day.