Scottish election 2021: Record number of voters registered for Thursday's poll

More people are registered to vote in Thursday’s poll than any other Scottish Parliament election on record.

The Electoral Commission has confirmed the final total of voters registered for this Scottish election sits at 4,280,785 – about 182,000 more voters than for the previous 2016 poll.

The tally is just 3,153 shy of the record number who registered to vote in the Scottish independence referendum in 2014.

Polling places will open their doors following Covid regulations on Thursday

The figures released by the commission have confirmed a swell of voters registering in Edinburgh.

The biggest rise in the overall number of registered voters in any electorate compared to the 2016 election have come in Edinburgh Eastern (+8,468), Edinburgh Northern and Leith (+7,363) and Edinburgh Central (+7,153).

Midlothian North and Musselburgh (+5,942) and Renfrewshire North and West (+5,917) have also recorded a significant increase in registered voters.

The biggest falls in the size of any electorate were recorded in Banffshire and Buchan Coast (-339), Aberdeen Central (-378) and Glasgow Anniesland (-951).

The commission has warned those intending to travel to a polling station to vote on Thursday there will be arrangements in place to maintain physical distancing and staff would be managing the number of people allowed inside at any one time.

Malcolm Burr, convener of the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, said: “This year voting in person will look a little different to previous elections.

"You can help keep yourself and others safe by following the safety measures that will be in place at the polling place. This includes bringing a face covering, unless you are exempt, and sanitising your hands on entering and leaving the polling place. If you are asked to queue, this will be so that you and others can follow the physical distancing measures in place so please be patient while you wait for your turn.

If people are unsure of what to do at the polling place, or need any help, staff will be happy to assist “

Andy O’Neill, head of the Electoral Commission in Scotland, added: “If you become unwell or have to self-isolate as a result of Covid-19 shortly before polling day, or on the day itself, you don’t need to miss out on your vote.

"You can apply for an emergency proxy up until 5pm on polling day.”