Council reassures voters over wrong advice at polling station

Glasgow City Council has reassured voters their ballots will still be counted after incorrect advice was spotted at a polling station.

Posters at Notre Dame primary school told people to number their chosen candidates in order of preference, using the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, rather than marking a single "X" under the first-past-the-post system.

The council told BBC News that a "few" voters in the Glasgow West constituency had seen the advice. It is not known how many people followed it.

It said that ballots would still be counted and that whoever has a "1" next to their name on the ballot paper will receive the vote.

A concerned constituent contacted BBC Scotland after discovering the issue, and said she feared the mistake could affect a close race if votes were disqualified as a result.

The STV system is used for Scottish Parliament and council elections.

A spokesperson for Glasgow City Council stated: "The error was spotted very soon after the polling station opened and after the first few voters entered. It was replaced with the correct information.

"No one has been disenfranchised as the first preference will be taken from the ballot paper."

Chris Highcock, secretary to the Electoral Management Board for Scotland, confirmed the votes would be counted.

He said: "On a paper marked with numbers the clear preference would be for the candidate numbered 1."