Voters in Scotland head to the polls for general election

Voters in Scotland are heading to the polls to cast their ballots in the 2024 general election.

Polling venues opened at 07:00 and close at 22:00, when counting will begin.

The first Scottish result is expected at about 01:00 on Friday morning, with most constituencies declaring between 03:00 and 05:00.

The BBC, like other broadcasters, is not allowed to report details of campaigning or election issues while voting is taking place.

The first indication of how parties might have fared will come at 22:00, when the BBC, ITV and Sky News publish the results of an exit poll.

Although it is the fourth general election in nine years, new constituency boundaries and the requirement for voters to bring ID means it will be an election of firsts.

• How the BBC reports polling day

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.

Postal voters who have forgotten to send their ballot paper back can hand them in at their polling station.

Many councils also accept postal votes at council offices.

The deadline for proxy votes has passed and emergency proxy votes are only possible in limited circumstances, such as being called away suddenly for work.

How do I vote?

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.

What do I need to bring to vote?

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.

The Electoral Commission says 22 different forms of photo ID are acceptable, such as a passport, driving licence, bus pass and Young Scot card.

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.

How to follow the results

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.

The alterations are based on recommendations by an independent commission in each part of the UK and are designed to reflect population shifts.

Following the changes some constituency names are different.

Use our postcode checker to see which constituency you will be voting in.

Once the polls close, the BBC Scotland news website will be the one-stop place to find results.

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.