On 18 September 2014, registered and otherwise qualified voters in Scotland will vote in a Referendum to decide whether or not Scotland should be an independent country. 

The Chief Counting Officer will have overall responsibility for the conducting the Referendum and for announcing the result. The Chief Executive of North Ayrshire Council will conduct the Referendum within North Ayrshire. The North Ayrshire local result will form part of the national result.

Campaigners

Information for campaigners is available on the website of the Electoral Commission.  The Commission's guidance covers the rules on donations, spending limits, and when the rules apply. 

Information for Voters

Voters will be asked a question i.e. "Should Scotland be an independent country?" and will be asked to vote by putting an 'X' against "Yes" or "No" on the ballot paper.

To vote in the Referendum in North Ayrshire (or indeed any other area) you must be registered and be otherwise qualified. If you live in North Ayrshire and are unsure if you are registered or qualified to vote in the Referendum, please contact the Electoral Registration Officer at Ayrshire Valuation Joint Board for advice. 

Following publication of the Notice of Referendum, the Counting Officer will issue poll cards to all voters who are eligible to vote in person at a polling place in North Ayrshire. Poll cards will also be issued to postal and proxy voters.  On receipt of your poll card, please check your designated polling place - it may have changed since the last time you voted. You can also check the location of your designated polling place by entering your postal code on the Local View pages.

Polling will take place between the hours of 7am and 10pm on Thursday 18 September 2014.  The result of the Referendum will be announced once all local results have been calculated.

More information on arrangements for the Referendum in North Ayrshire is available under 2014 Electoral Events.