Scottish independence: Referendum polls close

The polls have closed and counting is under way in the referendum to decide whether Scotland should stay in the UK or become an independent country.

Counting will be carried out through the night, with individual results announced for each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas.

The final national result is expected after 06:30 BST (05:30 GMT) on Friday.

A record turnout is anticipated, with 4,285,323 people – 97% of the electorate – having registered to vote.

The bulk of the local results are expected to come between 03:00 and 05:00 BST (02:00 and 04:00 GMT). These will include votes cast from the 789,024 postal vote applications, which was the largest volume of registration for postal votes ever in Scotland.

Once the results from all 32 local authority areas are known, chief counting officer Mary Pitcaithly will declare the result of the referendum at the Royal Highland Centre outside Edinburgh.

However, running totals – which can be made from the first declaration onwards – may indicate a result earlier in the morning.

The first potential clue to the outcome may come in a YouGov on-the-day which is due to be released at about 22:30 BST.

Opinion polls released before the vote suggested the referendum was too close to call, although most had the “No” campaign – which backs staying in the UK – holding a slight lead.

For the first time, 16 and 17-year-olds all across Scotland were able vote.

Many councils have reported busy polling stations were busy throughout Thursday, with some seeing queues both ahead of the polls opening and throughout the morning.

Stirling Council area counting officer Bob Jack said: “There has been a steady stream of voters and we have been very busy.”

In East Renfrewshire, there were queues before the polls opened this morning and a steady stream since, a council spokeswoman said. Some voters had been kissing their ballots, she added.

Large numbers of independence supporters have gathered in George Square, in the centre of Glasgow, ahead of the result.

The day had started with tennis star Andy Murray declaring his support for independence on Twitter. The British number one had previously refused to publicly back either side.

Murray, who won Wimbledon in 2013 and the Olympic gold medal for Great Britain in 2012, tweeted: “Huge day for Scotland today! no campaign negativity last few days totally swayed my view on it. excited to see the outcome. lets do this!”

Murray’s brother Jamie, who is also a tennis professional, also backed independence.

Election rules meant the BBC – in common with other broadcasters – was not allowed to report the tweets until the polls closed. The rules do not apply to newspapers.

Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond, who led the pro-independence “Yes” campaign, cast his ballot at Ritchie Hall in Strichen, Aberdeenshire.

Despite long days of campaigning, the first minister said he managed to get a good rest on the eve of the vote.

He said: “I got a fantastic night’s sleep, obviously there’s a great deal of anticipation, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, it’s a day that everybody will remember.

“We’re in the hands of the people of Scotland and there’s no safer place to be than in the hands of the Scottish people.”

Pro-Union Better Together leader Alistair Darling was greeted by a mixture of cheers and boos as he arrived at the Church Hill Theatre in Edinburgh to cast his vote.

He said: “I’m feeling very confident. It’s been a long, hard two-and-a-half year campaign, passions have been aroused on both sides, and understandably so because we are talking about the biggest single decision that any of us will ever take in our lifetime.

“But I’m increasingly confident that we will win tonight.”

A group of well-wishers cheered former Prime Minister Gordon Brown, a prominent figure in the “No” campaign as he made the short trip to his local polling station at North Queensferry Community Centre in Fife.

After casting her vote, Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “I’ve just voted #Yes to Scotland becoming an independent country. What a wonderful feeling.”

Only two arrests were reported by Police Scotland, including that of Marie Rimmer, 67, a former Labour leader of St Helens Council in Merseyside.

She was detained after a woman was allegedly assaulted near a polling station at Shettleston Community Centre in Glasgow.

Ms Rimmer is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date.

And a 44-year-old man was arrested following an alleged assault outside a polling station at Faifley Road in Clydebank, West Dunbartonshire, at about 08:30

Source: BBC News