Scottish election: Reports of 'record' turnout in crucial contest

Despite the cold and wet weather polling stations were busy all day with thousands of people in urban areas such as Glasgow queuing for more than half an hour to register their vote.

Activists and officials believe the long lines were not simply down to social distancing measures making the process of voting slower but also due to the significant number of voters.

Turnout figures so far are all up by as much as 12% in some areas.

The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford tweeted: "The news that turnout is up across Scotland is a victory for democracy and shows people are engaged in this historic election.

"I'm proud (the SNP) extended the vote to 16 & 17 year olds, refugees and foreign nationals with leave to remain - with many voting for the first time."

Polling data website Ballot Box Scotland tweeted: "We've had our first report, not of a result, but turnout - 66.2% in Linlithgow (Lothian). That's up around 12% versus 2016. It seems likely all that talk of record turnout has been proven accurate. #SP21 #BBS21"

In Clydebank and Milngavie official figures report that turnout increased by 10% from the 2016 poll to 70.8%.

Ross Greer, the Scottish Greens' lead candidate on the party's west of Scotland regional list wrote on Twitter on Friday: "Turnout up 10% in Clydebank and Milngavie to 70.8%. Tremendous work folks."

In Aberdeen Donside, which has been held by the SNP, turnout was up by 7.6% to 58.2%.

Turnout in Edinburgh Western is up from 64,% in 2016 to 71.46%  - a total of 46,901 votes cast, and in Edinburgh Central it is up from 57.£% to 62.69% - 41,833 votes cast.

Tommy Sheppard, the SNP MP for Edinburgh East, said he had been heard several reports of high turnouts in the capital and other parts of the country.

"Obviously we will have to wait for the actual turnout figures," he told The National.

"But anecdotally I have been hearing it's been very busy. Friends have been telling me it's high."

He said: "So with the caveat that I would want to see the final figures, I would say this shows that what has cut through to voters is the understanding of the importance of this election, that people have a sense that the stakes are higher than they've been, that this is not a routine election, that this is their chance to assert their right to build a better country.

"It's undeniably good news for democracy and we will wait and see what the result is."

READ MORE: LIVE: Scottish elections: All the news as counts get started from 9am

Jason Allardyce, editor of the Sunday Times Scotland, wrote on Twitter today: "Turnout for #Holyrood2021 seems to be up - possibly even reaching a record level."

Many political parties in Scotland feared that despite the election being seen 'a referendum' on a 'second independence referendum' and therefore highly signifiant the turnout may have been poor because of the pandemic and low key campaigning because of the coronavirus restrictions.

Sheppard added: "This seems to have confounded parties' fears and expectations. Any result is improved by more people taking part." 

Voters pictured queuing at a polling station in Comely Bank, Edinburgh on May 6.

Turnout for the Holyrood 2016 election was at 55.8% for the constituency contests and 55.9% for the list voting - significantly higher than in 2011 (50.5% and 50.4% respectively).

Voters queue in the rain on polling day outside Notre Dame Primary School in Edinburgh. Photo Colin Mearns

Turnout at the 2007 Scottish Parliament election was 51.7% on the constituency vote and 52.4% on the regional vote reflecting that 25,109 more votes were cast on the regional vote than were cast in the constituency vote.

Turnout at the 2003 election to the Scottish Parliament was 49.4% compared with 59% at the 1999 election.

The level of turnout at constituency level ranged from 35.41% in Glasgow Shettleston, in 2003 to 58.42% in the Western Isles. In the 1999 elections, turnout ranged from 40.6% in Glasgow Shettleston to 67.7% in Stirling.

Some 3,623,344 people (representing 84.6% of the electorate) voted in the 2014 independence referendum - a record turnout for any Scottish election.

Earlier this week the Electoral Commission revealed that the highest number of total of voters were registered for the Scottish Parliament election.

Among the areas which have announced the number of votes verified, Aberdeen Donside have said 36,024 votes have been verified (a 58.02% turnout).

In Midlothian North and Musselburgh source says the turnout is understood to be around 60% with a higher number of under 30s voting than in previous elections.

It confirmed 4,280,785 people – a record number for a Holyrood election –registered to vote yesterday.

Sheppard, a former Scottish Labour assistant general secretary, also commented on Labour's defeat by the Tories in the Hartlepool by-election.

Sir Keir Starmer's party was beaten by the Conservatives which took 52% of the vote share, while Labour took just 29% in its former seat and heartland.

"Labour can't possibly do as badly [in Scotland] as they've done in Hartlepool. It's out of this world shocking."