Voters in Scotland head to the polls for 2024 general election – BBC News

There are 4,081,585 registered voters in Scotland. Of those, about a quarter requested a postal vote.

This election falls during Scotland’s school summer holidays and concerns had been raised about postal ballots being received and returned in time to vote.

For those still without a voting pack, replacement packs can be obtained from council offices up until 17:00 on polling day.

Many councils also accept postal votes at council offices.

If you are on the electoral register, you should have received a polling card. This contains your polling number and polling place address.

You must vote at your designated polling place any time between 07:00 and 22:00. You do not need to take your polling card with you to the polling station.

At the polling station, you will be given a ballot paper listing candidates and parties in your constituency.

Take it to a screened booth, and use the pencil to put an X in the box next to the name of your chosen candidate.

If you make a mistake you can get another ballot paper, as long as you have not put it in the ballot box.

When you are ready, fold the ballot paper – for privacy – and put it in the box where the votes are collected.

Photo ID was first required in Scotland for the Hamilton and Rutherglen West by-election last year.

But this is the first time it has been used in a national poll in Scotland.

You can use out-of-date photo ID as long as you look the same.

If you wear a face covering, such as a medical mask or a veil worn on religious grounds, you will be asked to remove it briefly, so polling station staff can check that your ID looks like you.

Voters have been warned that photographs and copies of passports or other documents will not be accepted, only original documents.

If you go to the polling station without the correct ID, you will be asked to come back with valid documentation.

If you think your ID has been wrongly rejected, the Electoral Commission says you should notify the presiding officer at the polling station.

If this does not resolve the issue, you can raise your concerns with your council’s returning officer.

Another major difference at this year’s election is the number of constituencies in Scotland has been reduced from 59 to 57 due to boundary changes affecting all but 10 seats north of the border.

Following the changes some constituency names are different.

You will be able to keep in touch with the Scotland-wide and UK picture via our live election page which you can also use to watch BBC One Scotland and listen to Radio Scotland.

There will be video and audio clips, picture galleries, blogs, analysis and news stories – from your area.