AS Scotland heads to the polls to elect a new batch of councillors, there’s only one big story of the day - dogs at polling stations.

With the ballot open at 7am, the media are restricted on what they can and can’t say under electoral rules so journalists can only report non-political stories.

But this has led to one adorable trend - every time there’s an election the hashtag #dogsatpollingstations goes viral, and it’s commonplace to snap a photo of your pooch in front of a polling station sign.

READ MORE: Here are the key areas to watch as Scotland goes to the polls

We have taken a quick roundup of some of the adorable dogs accompanying their owners to vote in this year's local council elections.

Elections are also taking place in London, some parts of Northern England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Politicians and their pups

The National: Boris Johnson and pup Dilyn take an early morning stroll to a polling station in LondonBoris Johnson and pup Dilyn take an early morning stroll to a polling station in London

Johnson wasn't the only politician spotted with a dog in London...

A bit closer to home, candidates were also pictured with their dogs.

But not all dogs were accompanied by politicians...

 And, it wasn't just dogs either...

Did you take your dog (or other pet) to a polling station today? Tweet us @ScotNational with a picture and we can include your pooch in today's coverage.