Hamilton election: 44.2% turnout in crucial Holyrood vote
Turnout in the Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse by-election is 44.2 per cent.
The voting figure was announced just after 11.20pm as the verification of ballot papers was completed at the count venue at South Lanarkshire Council's headquarters in Hamilton.
A total of 27,155 ballot papers are being counted, including both postal votes and those cast at the constituency's 63 polling stations at 26 venues including primary schools, community centres and council facilities.
The turnout figure is higher than the 37 per cent recorded for the last parliamentary by-election in South Lanarkshire, when the Rutherglen & Hamilton West seat in the UK parliament was contested in October 2023.
It compares to the Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse seat's 60.7 per cent turnout in the 2021 Holyrood poll and 55.8 per cent in the equivalent Westminster seat at last year's general election.
A total of 10 candidates are standing in the by-election – Collette Bradley (Scottish Socialist Party); Andy Brady (Scottish Family Party); Ross Lambie (Reform); Katy Loudon (SNP); Janice MacKay (UKIP); Ann McGuinness (Green); Aisha Mir (Liberal Democrats); Richard Nelson (Conservative); Davy Russell (Labour); and Marc Wilkinson (independent).
Liberal Democrat Aisha Mir and Richard Nelson of the Conservatives were the first of the candidates to arrive at the count late on Thursday night.
A large number of MSPs, party activists and supporters are in attendance at the count, awaiting the declaration of the constituency's new MSP in the early hours of Friday.
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