MOSCOW, September 18 (RIA Novosti) – Polling stations for the referendum on Scottish independence have opened in Scotland at 7:00 a.m. BST (06:00 GMT) and will remain open till 10:00 p.m. BST (21:00 GMT) on Thursday.
"Polling places are busiest during the early morning and in the evening as people vote on their way to and from work. If you are able to avoid these times, I would encourage you to do so to ensure everyone can vote without having to queue," Scotland's Chief Counting Officer for the referendum Mary Pitcaithly states.
A total of 4,285,323 people have registered to vote in the referendum and the turnout is expected to exceed 80%.
Upon their arrival to the polling stations, the voters will be given a ballot paper with the question: "Should Scotland be an independent country?" and the "Yes" or "No" options.
Local councils across the country will be responsible for the operation of 5,579 polling stations at 2,608 polling places across the country.
Counting will start when the vote closes 10:00 p.m. BST (21:00 GMT). The ballot boxes will be transported to the Emirates Arena near Celtic Park in Glasgow by 113 vans. Results are expected in the early morning of September 19.
Should the majority of the voters choose the “Yes” answer, Scotland will secede from the United Kingdom on March 24, 2016.
