Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has urged the party to unite as the polls closed on a leadership contest he is widely expected to win.
Mr Corbyn tweeted that now was the time for the party to come together and hold the Tories to account in a series of tweets posted just after the polls closed at noon.
He and challenger Mr Smith have been on the campaign trail for weeks, with the result set to be announced on Saturday ahead of the party's conference in Liverpool.
READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn's first wife: I backed Owen Smith in Labour leadership contest
Mr Corbyn tweeted: "Thanks to all who took part. It has been a good debate. Our job now is to unite as a party & hold the Tories to account.
"Like last year, people have come together because they want to see Labour rebuild and transform Britain."
He also thanked "tens of thousands" of people who turned up to leadership events with him and Mr Smith.
Mr Smith, meanwhile, appeared to concede defeat in the leadership race, telling the BBC he would not serve in Mr Corbyn's shadow cabinet.
He told the BBC News Channel: "I don't think he can rebuild Labour's reputation in the country, so I won't be serving in Jeremy's cabinet.
"But I will do what I've always done, which is be Labour, vote Labour, loyally serve this party and make sure from the backbenches I continue to make the arguments I've made during this campaign, in order to get Labour seen once more as credible, get us back on the front foot and get us back into power."
The contest has seen divisions deepen in the Labour party.
READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn's first wife: I backed Owen Smith in Labour leadership contest
These divisions continued as Labour's national executive committee failed to reach consensus on how to appoint its shadow cabinet, after nearly nine hours of talks.
Jeremy Corbyn has already pledged to "reach out" to Labour MPs if he is re-elected as leader.
Around 640,000 people are eligible to vote in the election, included party members, trade union affiliates and registered supporters.
Mr Corbyn won last year's leadership race with 59.5% of the vote - and is widely tipped to win again.
A recent YouGov poll for The Times predicted Mr Corbyn would win 62% of the vote.
READ MORE: Jeremy Corbyn's first wife: I backed Owen Smith in Labour leadership contest
Graham Sharpe, a spokesman for bookmakers William Hill, added: "All of the serious money staked from a £60,000 bet downwards, has been for a convincing Corbyn victory."
But Mr Corbyn's first wife, Jane Chapman, has said she voted for Mr Smith in the leadership contest.
Professor Chapman told BBC Radio Five Live Mr Smith was more flexible and media savvy, and was better placed to unite the Parliamentary Labour Party.
She also questioned Mr Corbyn's leadership skills after spending virtually all his working life as an MP - as well as questioning whether the politics of the 1970s are "relevant to the 21st century, and to post-Brexit Britain".
Top director Ken Loach has made a documentary about Mr Corbyn's leadership campaign.
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