The election took place on 2 March 2017, with counting finishing the following day; voter turnout was estimated at 64.8%.
[1] Only five (rather than six) MLAs were elected from each of the 18 constituencies, following the Assembly Members (Reduction of Numbers) Act (Northern Ireland) 2016.
[2] The reduction negatively affected Unionist candidates whose bloc lost its majority for the first time in the history of the Assembly.
[3] Incumbent Speaker Robin Newton informally convened the Assembly on 22 March to pay tribute to the former deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness, who had died the day before.
[4] However, with the DUP and Sinn Féin unable to agree to form their mandatory coalition government, the Assembly did not formally convene.