250 candidates will compete for the 108 Northern Ireland Assembly seats in elections on 7 March.
At the close of nominations yesterday, the DUP had 46 candidates, the Ulster Unionist party 38, Sinn Féin 37, the SDLP 35 and the Alliance party 18.
In the last Assembly election in 2003, more than 250 candidates stood for seats at Stormont.
