18/09/2014

Polls Open In Scottish Independence Referendum

Voters in Scotland will today go to the polls to decide if the country will remain part of the UK or become an independent nation.

People are being asked to answer yes or no to the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?"

The latest figures show that 97% of the electorate, or 4,285,323 people, have registered to vote.

A total of 5,579 polling stations have been set up across the country, with polls open until 22:00 on Thursday night.

Some 789,024 postal votes have also been cast in the referendum – marking the largest volume of registration for postal voters in Scotland.

After the polls close, the counting will start in the 32 local authorities. These totals will then given to chief counting officer Mary Pitcaithly in Edinburgh, whose job is to approve the counts and make a declaration of the result.

The result of the referendum is expected on Friday morning.

(MH/CD)

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