The first police and crime commissioner (PCC) in England and Wales has been elected in Wiltshire, as counts are due to start in 40 other police areas.
Conservative Angus Macpherson was elected as Wiltshire's PCC ahead of the Labour candidate after second preference votes were counted.
The first PCC elections face likely controversy over reported low turnouts.
Turnout was 14.3% in Gwent, 13.5% in Greater Manchester, and some West Midlands councils reported 12-13%.
In Wiltshire, where 15.3% - 78,794 people out of a total electorate of 514,855 - voted, returning officer Stephen Taylor said some people had complained about a lack of information.
PCC results on BBC News
- BBC News online will provide live coverage of the results of the police and crime commissioner elections
- We will also provide full results for each of the 41 police force areas
- See bbc.co.uk/policeelections for more
"People have emailed and contacted us saying that they didn't know enough about the candidates in order to be able to make a choice, and obviously that's something I have no control over," he told BBC News.
He added: "It would be good to have some analysis afterwards and see whether there are any lessons to be learned."
Mr Macpherson said: "There are several reasons why people didn't come out to vote: they didn't understand what the job is; they didn't know who the candidates were and they couldn't make a judgement.
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Residents of Wiltshire tell the BBC's Jon Kay why they did, and didn't, vote
"And then, depressingly, there were a lot of people while we were out on the street saying, 'I don't [vote] for anything.'"
He added: "I think it's incumbent on all police commissioners as we all take office to actually develop this job and let people know what it is."
'Middle of winter'The Electoral Reform Society has branded the government's handling of the elections a "comedy of errors".
The society predicted a turnout of 18.5%, which would be below the previous record low in a national poll in peacetime of 23% in the 1999 European elections.
What will police commissioners do?
- PCCs will be responsible for appointing chief constables
- They will set local policing priorities and report annually on progress
- They will set the force budget and community safety grants
- They will be overseen by police and crime panels
- See our Q&A for more details
Policing minister Damian Green said the PCCs were a new idea that would need time for people to get used to.
"It would be better if more people voted but I think people will get more interested, when you try something new it takes people time to get up to speed on it," he told ITV1's Daybreak programme.
He added: "The measure of this policy is not the turnout, it's what the police and crime commissioners achieve over the next few years."
But Labour's Chuka Umunna said: "It has been a total shambles and the £100m spent on it could have been spent on 3,000 police officers.
"At least if you are going to have the elections, organise them properly and don't have them in the middle of winter."
Shadow attorney general Emily Thornberry said: "I've been out on the doorsteps and people did not want to go out in the cold and they didn't want to go out in the fog, they didn't have enough information on what was happening."
The government insists whoever is elected will have a stronger mandate to set local crime fighting priorities than the unelected police authorities they will replace.
Cardiff South and Penarth by-election
- Stephen Doughty (Lab) 9,193
- Craig Williams (C) 3,859
- Bablin Molik (LD) 2,103
- Luke Nicholas (PC) 1,854
- Simon Zeigler (UKIP) 1,179
- Anthony Slaughter (Green) 800
- Andrew Jordan (Soc Lab) 235
- Robert Griffiths (Comm) 213
Lab maj 5,334
Meanwhile, Labour has held its seats in by-elections in both Manchester Central and Cardiff South and Penarth, and is hopeful of taking a seat from the Conservatives in Corby.
In the Manchester Central parliamentary by-election, Labour candidate Lucy Powell (11,507) won with a majority of 9,936. Liberal Democrat Marc Ramsbottom (1,571) came second and Conservative Matthew Sephton (754) came in third.
The turnout of 18.16% is believed to be the lowest in a UK parliamentary by-election since World War II.
Ms Powell said: "With this result Manchester Central has sent this Tory-Lib Dem government a message - a clear message that we think their policies are wrong and unfair."
In Cardiff South and Penarth, Labour's Stephen Doughty won with 9,193 votes, Conservative Craig Williams came second with 3,859 and Lib Dem Bablin Molik was third with 2,103. Labour's majority was 5,334 and the turnout was 25.65%.
Manchester Central by-election
- Lucy Powell (Lab) 11,507
- Marc Ramsbottom (LD) 1,571
- Matthew Sephton (C) 754
- Chris Cassidy (UKIP) 749
- Tom Dylan (Green) 652
- Eddy O'Sullivan (BNP) 492
- Loz Kaye (Pirate) 308
- Alex Davidson (TUSC) 220
- Catherine Higgins (Respect) 182
- Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 78
- Lee Holmes (People's Dem) 71
- Peter Clifford (Comm Lge) 64
Lab maj 9,936
Mr Doughty said his victory was a "condemnation" of the policies and priorities of the Westminster government.
The result in the Corby by-election, which is seen as a crucial mid-term test of David Cameron's premiership, is expected at about 13:00 GMT.
If Labour wins, it would be the first time in 15 years the party has taken a Tory seat at a by-election.
The contest was triggered by the resignation of Louise Mensch, the high-profile former member of the Commons media select committee, who stood down after just over two years to relocate to New York with her family.
Mrs Mensch had a majority of less than 2,000 in a constituency that has regularly swung between Tory and Labour over the past 30 years - with voters always opting for the party that goes on to form a government.
Voters in Bristol have also been to the polls to choose the city's first directly-elected mayor.
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