Could Sunderland leave the great vote race?
It's a while since Sunderland's football team was top of the league (although they do seem to have a decent side this season).
But the city has been top of the pile in terms of counting votes for some time.
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Chris Mullin in Sunderland South was the first MP returned to Westminster in 1992, 1997, 2001 and 2005. (Their record performance in 2005 was 43 minutes from polls closing to declaration).
The sight of the ballot boxes being rushed into the city's sports centre has become beloved of election night TV directors.
But just as Mr Mullin won't be on hand this time (he's retiring), so Sunderland's race to be first to declare also looks as if it might go for a burton.
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No decision has been made yet, but of course for many councils the lure is the money on overtime they'll save by counting during daylight hours.
Some though are pressing Sunderland to stay in the race to be first to declare.
Chris Mullin says the result should be declared on the night.
And the local Tory group point to the publicity the city gets by coming first, and getting a guaranteed slot on the election night programme.
They even tried to get a motion through the council to insist on a Thursday night count but it was voted down by Labour.
And there are some Tories who privately wonder whether there are any politics at play.
Logically the first seat to declare next year will be the new .
That's a constituency the Conservatives think they can win.
So imagine the embarrassment to a Labour council like Sunderland if the first iconic moment of an election is the Tories winning in their city.
Especially as that would almost certainly indicate an overall Conservative election victory - a kind of 2010 equivalent of 1992's Basildon moment.
It has to be said though that this is only a Tory suspicion. There's little concrete evidence to back it up.
The council has a different Chief Executive and returning officer so that may be the reason for the hesitancy.
They may yet decide to count on Thursday too, but there's at least a chance that Sunderland could decide to relegate itself from the top of the election counting league.
I'm Richard Moss, the ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ's Political Editor for the North East and Cumbria. Welcome to my irreverent - but hopefully insightful - northern take on reporting politics for Look North and the Politics Show.
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