Orkney goes to the polls for council election

The shape of the next Orkney Islands Council will be decided by voters today, with polling stations  open from 7am until 10pm.

Votes will be cast to determine which of the 35 standing candidates will take the 18 available seats in five of the county’s six wards.

The three candidates who put themselves forward in Stromness and the South Isles will take up the ward’s three seats. They are returning councillors James Stockan and Rob Crichton, along with new addition Magnus Thomson, from Hoy.

On your ballot paper, number your candidates in order of preference: i.e. 1 for your preferred candidate, 2 for your next preference, 3 for the next and so on.

You can number as many or as few candidates as you like but it important that you use numbers only on your ballot form – not crosses or ticks.

Read the instructions for filling in the ballot paper carefully – and if you make a mistake just ask the polling staff to give you another ballot paper.

The votes will be counted electronically in Kirkwall tomorrow, with the declaration of results expected before lunchtime.

For more information about your nearest polling station, click here.