County gears up for big day at the polls

Apr 7 2011 by Leona Greenan, Hamilton Advertiser

PREPARATIONS are well underway for Lanarkshire’s two election counts.

Votes cast in South Lanarkshire in the Scottish Parliament on May 5 will be counted at East Kilbride’s John Wright Sports Centre. The result for the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse, Rutherglen, East Kilbride and Clydesdale constituencies will be announced as soon as the counting is completed.

In North Lanarkshire, the new £32m Ravenscraig Sports Centre will host the counting of votes cast from that area.

Candidates can expect a late night as the results of five constituencies will be tallied up there.

The battle for Motherwell and Wishaw constituency will be settled at the facility along with Airdrie and Shotts, Coatbridge and Chryston, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth and Uddingston and Bellshill.

It is believed that after Glasgow and Edinburgh, the Ravenscraig count will be the biggest in the country.

As well as the Scottish Parliament election Lanarkshire voters will take part in a referendum on a new electoral system for United Kingdom parliamentary elections.

Counting of both North Lanarkshire and South Lanarkshire votes cast in the referendum will commence at 4pm on May 6, again at Ravenscraig and the John Wright Centre. The number of votes cast in the two areas will be announced once counting is complete.

Gavin Whitefield, North Lanarkshire returning officer, said: “By using Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility, we can accommodate the five Scottish Parliamentary election counts in one location and we will co-ordinate the count for the Central Scotland Region. We will also carry out the count for the UK-wide referendum at Ravenscraig on May 6. It provides excellent facilities for the operation of the count, and is easily accessible for staff, candidates and supporters. Our election team are in the process of organising the logistics required to allow the elections and the referendum to run smoothly on May 5 and 6.”