Orkney goes to the polls for Holyrood election
Orkney voters will go the polls today, Thursday, to choose who will represent the county in the next Scottish Parliament.
The five candidates are:
- Donna Heddle (SNP)
- Liam McArthur (Liberal Democrats)
- Gerry McGarvey (Labour)
- Jamie Halcro Johnston (Conservative)
- Paul Dawson (Independent)
Polling stations across Mainland Orkney opened at 7am and close at 10pm.
Voters will receive two ballot papers – one for the constituency and one for the Highlands and Islands region – and may vote once on each one.
The first vote is to elect a person to be the Constituency MSP for Orkney, while the second is used to vote for a political party or an individual candidate standing for a seat in a Scottish Parliamentary Region.
On the regional list the nominated people/parties are:
- RISE (Respect, Independence, Socialism and Environmentalism).
- Scottish Christian Party
- Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
- Scottish Green Party
- Scottish Labour Party
- Scottish Liberal Democrats
- Scottish National Party (SNP)
- Solidarity – Scotland’s Socialist Movement
- UKIP
- James Stockan (Independent)
According to the council, there are 16,997 voters registered in Orkney. There are 17 polling stations in total, staffed by 36 polling station staff.
The votes will be counted at Kirkwall Grammar School from 10pm, with the results expected in the early hours of Friday morning.
The Orcadian website, Facebook and Twitter will be updated throughout the evening, with the results posted online immediately after the declaration.