Voting in Scotland’s strangest election since devolution has ended, with the results expected in the next few days.
Due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the counting of votes for the 2021 Holyrood election will take place over a number of days, with all results expected to be declared by Saturday evening.
Counting usually begins immediately after the polls close at 10pm and continues overnight, with results declared in the early hours.
But the need for social distancing among count staff has meant votes will be tallied from Friday morning.
A ballot box breaks open as it arrives at the P&J Live/TECA in Aberdeen (Andrew Milligan/PA)
It’s election day with a difference as polling stations operate under coronavirus restrictions across Great Britain.
On what has been dubbed Super Thursday, polling stations opened at 7am in the largest test of political opinion outside a general election, with the future of the Labour Party and the state of the Union among the issues at play.
But there were still many familiar sights, with party leaders posing for pictures after they voted and plenty of #dogsatpollingstations photos to brighten up social media.
Signs warned voters to wear masks – and that selfies were not permitted (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Voters were urged to use hand sanitiser – and to take their own pen or pencil to mark the ballot (Andrew Matthews/PA)
Collegiate politics would return if Indyref2 stopped, Douglas Ross says
The Tory leader is heading into his first election in charge (Jane Barlow/PA)
Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross has said co-operation and civility in politics would return if a referendum on Scottish independence is averted.
In recent years, politicians in Scotland have spoken of the febrile nature of political debate north of the border, with a Holyrood magazine poll earlier this year finding that 70% of 67 MSPs asked had feared for their safety since they were elected.
The antagonistic nature of discourse in Scotland has been on show during this campaign, which has seen three tense televised debates between party leaders, which have been peppered with testy interruptions and aggressive exchanges from all involved.
Updated: May 5, 2021, 4:10 pm
The former prime minister was addressing a drive in rally in Glasgow on Wednesday (Jane Barlow/PA)
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If the SNP could not solve problems in Scotland over the past 14 years, they should stand aside for the Labour Party, former prime minister Gordon Brown has said.
Speaking at a drive-in rally of supporters in Glasgow, Mr Brown talked up new Labour leader Anas Sarwar while urging voters to turn out for the party on Thursday.