Scottish Election 2021 Thursday RECAP: Polling across Scotland closes as Nicola Sturgeon fights for SNP majority | Anas Sarwar's Labour tries to overtake Douglas Ross's Conservatives | Dogs pictured at polling places
Polling stations were open from 7am till 10pm, in an election which could be crucial in determining Scotland’s future within the UK.
Follow this recap which takes a look back at the news and events as they unfolded throughout the day.
Scottish Election 2021 RECAP: The updates from around the country as Scotland went to the polls
Key Events
- Scots headed to the polls on Thursday to elect next Scottish Government
- Polling stations were open from 7am till 10pm
- Sturgeon and SNP pushing to win overall majority at Holyrood
Voters heading to polls for crucial Holyrood election
Scots are heading to the polls to elect the next Scottish Government – though the coronavirus pandemic means it could be more than 48 hours before all the results are counted.
Polling stations are open from 7am till 10pm, in an election which could be crucial in determining Scotland’s future within the UK.
Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, is certain to be returned as First Minister with the largest party in the 129-seat Scottish Parliament.
But she and her party are pushing to try to win an overall majority at Holyrood, in the hope that this could help them secure a second independence referendum.
Scottish election 2021: how to vote - and where is my nearest polling station?
This is how you can vote in the Scottish election - and where your nearest polling station is
The deadline for registering for a postal vote has now passed but you can still go down to the polls on Scotland’s election day to cast your ballot
Scottish Parliament election 2021: what was voter turnout for 2016 election and what was the outcome?
This is how high voter turnout was for the Scottish Parliament election in 2016
Turnout was 55.8% at the last Holyrood election
Scottish Parliament election 2021: full list of 129 MSPs by party, region and constituency – and current composition of Holyrood
Here's a full list of current MSPs ahead of the 2021 Scottish Parliament election
Scotland’s political parties are competing for 129 MSP seats on May 6
Scottish election polls: what are the latest opinion polls for 2021 election - and what happened in 2016?
These are the latest Scottish Parliament election polls - and what happened in 2016
The Scottish Parliament election is taking place on Thursday - so what are the current result predictions?
Sturgeon certain to be returned as First Minister - but will SNP win overall majority?
Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader, is certain to be returned as First Minister with the largest party in the 129-seat Scottish Parliament.
But she and her party are pushing to try to win an overall majority at Holyrood, in the hope that this could help them secure a second independence referendum.
Throughout the campaign Ms Sturgeon has stressed that such a ballot would not take place until the immediate health crisis brought about by the coronavirus pandemic has passed.
Her opponents, however, in the pro-UK parties insist that this would hinder Scotland’s recovery from the virus, arguing that this must be the focus of the next Scottish Parliament.
With the SNP winning most of their seats in the constituency section of the ballot, elections expert Professor Sir John Curtice said there were nine “knife-edge constituencies” which will be key in this.
These are seats held by the Tories or Labour, but where Ms Sturgeon’s party would need a swing of five points or less to claim them.
SEO: Scottish election 2021: who should I vote for? Main policies explained for SNP, Tories, Labour, Greens, Lib Dems
The key policies of Holyrood's five largest political parties you should know
There are 25 parties contesting the Scottish Parliament election this year. Here are the key policies of Holyrood’s five largest parties
Who are the leaders of Scotland’s five largest parties? What to know before Scottish Parliament election 2021
Everything you need to know about the leaders of Scotland's five largest parties
Nicola Sturgeon, Douglas Ross, Anas Sarwar, Patrick Harvie and Lorna Slater and Willie Rennie are leading their parties into the Holyrood election
Scottish election 2021: Nicola Sturgeon warns 'never has so much been at stake' as Scotland goes to polls
Scottish Election 2021: Nicola Sturgeon warns 'never has so much been at stake' as Scotland goes to the polls
Nicola Sturgeon has today warned “never has so much been at stake” as she makes her final bid to the nation as Scotland goes to the polls.
Polling stations open across Great Britain for Super Thursday
Polling stations have opened for voters to cast their ballots in a set of elections which could shake up British politics and have profound implications for the future of the United Kingdom.
On what has been dubbed Super Thursday, polling stations opened at 7am across Great Britain 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.
Scottish National Party leader Nicola Sturgeon’s push for a second independence referendum means the stakes are high in the Holyrood contest.
In England, as well as local council and mayoral contests, the Hartlepool parliamentary by-election will indicate what progress – if any – Labour has made in regaining votes in its former northern heartlands.
Scottish election 2021: Will this election see demands for a new voting system?
Scottish election 2021: Will this election see demands for a new voting system?
“Democracy is the worst form of government, except for all those other forms that have been tried” is the Churchillian quip most often quoted when the root of the UK electoral system is occasionally dug up, examined for signs of life and then replanted.
Vote counting times affected by Covid
Just as coronavirus has impacted the election campaign, it will also affect the time it takes for all the votes to be counted.
The need for social distancing, with fewer staff able to physically count the ballot papers, means there will be no overnight counts.
Votes will instead start being counted at 9am on Friday, with some of the constituency seats declared later on the same day.
The results of the remaining constituencies, along with the results of the eight regional list areas, will be declared on Saturday.
Party leaders cast ballots in Scottish Parliament election
The leaders of Scotland’s political parties are heading to the polls to cast their own votes in the Scottish Parliament election.
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar voted at his local polling station at Pollokshields Burgh Hall in Glasgow on Thursday morning.
Mr Sarwar is standing against First Minister Nicola Sturgeon in the Glasgow Southside constituency, which includes Pollokshields.
Ms Sturgeon has already voted by post but she will join SNP candidate Rosa Salih at Annette Street Primary School polling station in Govanhill, Glasgow, to lend her support and meet a Syrian family as they cast their ballots.
Scottish Greens co-leader Lorna Slater will vote at a primary school in Edinburgh, while her fellow co-leader Patrick Harvie will vote at a school in Glasgow.
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross will vote in Moray, while Alba Party leader Alex Salmond cast his ballot in Strichen, Aberdeenshire.
Scottish Liberal Democrat leader Willie Rennie has already voted by post.
