Scottish independence: 4.3m registered to vote

Chief Counting Officer for the referendum Mary Pitcaithly encouraged voters to think carefully and plan ahead to make sure their vote is counted. Picture Michael Gillen.

The 4,285,323 voters include 789,024 people who have applied for a postal vote, which is also the largest volume of registration for postal votes ever in Scotland.

• Get the latest referendum news, opinion and analysis from across Scotland and beyond on our new Scottish Independence website

Chief Counting Officer (CCO) Mary Pitcaithly said: “I want everyone’s vote to count, whether they are voting by post or in person at a polling place on September 18.

“It’s vital that everyone takes great care when completing their ballot paper. Mistakes mean that a ballot paper may not be counted.”

Across Scotland, there are 2,608 polling places with a total of 5,579 polling stations.

In most areas, a maximum of 800 electors have been allocated to each polling station.

Measures, including extra staff at peak times, have been put in place to reduce the risk of queues.

Ms Pitcaithly added: “People who are voting at a polling place should think about what time they are going to vote.

“Polling places are busiest during the early morning and in the evening as people vote on their way to and from work. If you are able to avoid these times, I would encourage you to do so to ensure everyone can vote without having to queue for any length of time.”

Andy O’Neill, head of the Scotland Office at the Electoral Commission, said: “We welcome this increase in the number of people registered to take part at the referendum.

“It’s now important that voters, particularly first-time ones, take a couple of minutes to read our impartial guide to help them plan when they will cast their vote and ensure it will be counted by correctly marking their choice with a ‘X’.”

• Voters can obtain more information about the referendum and how to vote at www.aboutmyvote.co.uk