Record-breaking number of votes expected
Rosalind Griffiths
Shetland is gearing up for a busy night on Thursday when electoral officials will count votes cast in the Scottish Referendum, with a record number of votes expected.
Counting officer Jan Riise said the 18,515 people registered to vote in Shetland is the highest electorate he has ever experienced in his 20 years involvement in elections.
The number has been swelled by more than 600 16 and 17-year-olds, who have been given a vote for the first time. Mr Riise said it would be “interesting” to see how many of the 18,515 votes are actually cast.
Mr Riise said election preparations, including with police, who escort the ballot boxes, are “well advanced”, after a “long haul” to get to this stage.
Extra staff have been drafted in for the count, which will start at Clickimin after Shetland’s 35 polling places close at 10pm. The ballot boxes from Unst should arrive in Lerwick around 12.30am, and Shetland’s result is expected to be known around 1.30am, or at least by 2am – Mr Riise said the counting staff are “very efficient”.
Shetland’s result will then be relayed to the chief counting centre in Edinburgh, to be added to the 31 other local declarations.
Many postal votes have already been cast – there are 3,005 postal voters registered, which is just over 16 per cent. People in the outer isles are already familiar with the process, said Mr Riise, and Fetlar residents are now also voting in this way. There has been an increase in postal voting year on year, and he hoped the “convenience” of this method would encourage people to vote.
Mr Riise asked anyone who has not yet completed a postal vote to get it in by Thursday. He stressed that papers should be marked with a single cross only.
The referendum is involving 82 staff locally, including presiding officers, polling clerks, information officers, polling station inspectors and standby staff.
knut saetervik
Considering the fact that Scotland`s population is about the same as that of Norway, and the resources are similar, (the Scotch exepted of course), I see no reason why you should not be able to make it on your own!
We share the same history and Heritage, and there are a lot of Norwegians who will follow the counting of votes Thursday night.
Good Luck to you all!
Knut, Tønsberg, Vestfold, Norway.
joe johnson
Vote no. We are better together. I’m a proud scotsman and proud also to be British. The SNP have not thought this through and resort to name calling like ” scaremongering, fear factor” etc if anyone questions their views on independence. let your head rule when you vote and think carefully because this is not a general election where there will be another vote in years to come, this is permanent and no way back. Let’s do what best for Scotland and for our childrens future. Vote no. God bless Scotland and the Scottish people, my pride and joy.
stephen barber
i am English and stuck with it – i’d love to have the opportunity to vote for independence from Westminster – this is an exciting opportunity for you all – vote “Yes”