News / Reminder on postal votes ahead of election day
ISLANDERS who have a postal vote are being reminded that they can still submit their ballot papers for tomorrow’s Holyrood election in person at a polling station or at Shetland Islands Council’s Lerwick HQ.
Shetland returning officer Jan Riise said a total of 1,803 postal votes out of a total of 2,788 had been counted, indicating a turnout of 65 per cent so far. He said that “might be an indication of a lower turnout than normal” overall.
There are four candidates in the Shetland constituency – Cameron Smith for the Conservatives, Labour’s Robina Barton, the Liberal Democrats’ incumbent MSP Tavish Scott and the SNP’s Danus Skene.
Seven list candidates will be elected to represent the region, with nine parties plus independent James Stockan seeking votes within the Highlands and Islands region.
Shetland’s electorate consists of 17,784 voters and there are 34 polling stations in 28 different locations. The Gilbertson Park games hall in Lerwick has seven stations for a total of 4,322 voters.
The largest polling station outwith Lerwick is Scalloway Hall, for 861 voters, while the smallest is the Uyeasound Hall in Unst, for 96 voters.
Residents of the outer isles – Fair Isle, Foula, Papa Stour, Skerries and Fetlar – are all postal voters.
Riise’s team for the count, held in the Clickimin Bowls Hall, includes: 62 staff, 50 authorised candidates, election agents and counting agents, 85 invited guests including councillors, businesspeople, MSYPs and school pupils, and 20 local and national media representatives.
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