Scottish independence: polling day - as it happened

Campaign and party leaders are – with less than two hours to go until the polls close – still plugging away on Twitter, urging supporters to cast their vote (though, if the predictions of a soaring turnout are correct, voters haven’t needed much encouragement).

These are from Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson:

Less of the personal touch from Scottish Labour leader Johann Lamont:

Co-convenor of the Scottish Green party, and Yes supporter, Patrick Harvie has enjoyed the day:

First minister and SNP leader Alex Salmond has been hanging out with voters and swiping Andy Murray’s tweeted catchphrase:

And deputy first minister Nicola Sturgeon exclusively revealed that she had voted … Yes:

While Willie Rennie, leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats, went for … No:

My colleagues Severin Carrell and Nicholas Watt have compiled two very handy guides to what will happen tomorrow, once we know the result:

• If Scotland votes yes: a phone call from Cameron then hard negotiations begin
• If Scotland votes no: fast-track new tax powers and threat of Tory backlash

Either way, the day will begin with a phone call between British prime minister David Cameron and Scottish first minister Alex Salmond. One will be feeling rather chuffed with himself; the other less so.

Cameron will also be taking to the airwaves in a televised address to voters, whichever way the referendum swings.

This is just cockle-warmingly great: teenage first-time voters on the Scottish referendum. This is the first vote in Scotland’s history in which 16- and 17-year-olds have been given a say, and tens of thousands of them are expected to do so today.

As Jamie Storey, a 17-year-old chef from Dundee, puts it:

I think it’s great that younger people have been given the vote. It’s such an important thing. It’s not just about now, it’s about the future of our country and it is right that young as well as old get a say in that.

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Uber-pundit Nate Silver, founder of the 538.com geeky polling blog, has come to regret his casual dismissal of the yes prospects back in August:

When I was in Scotland last year on a book tour, a reporter asked me an off-handed question about the referendum and I provided an off-handed answer despite not really having spent any time studying it,” Silver told TPM in an email on Thursday. “That’s not usually my style, and I regret the error of having behaved like a television pundit.

The Guardian’s report at the time was headlined: “Scottish independence campaign has almost no chance, says Nate Silver” so not much room for ambiguity there.

Meanwhile, 538’s Harry Enten looks at the impact on the UK’s average weather sans Scotland:

The UK would be a drier, sunnier and warmer place if Scotland bolts. I doubt that will heal the UK’s wounds if ‘yes’ wins, but it’s a consolation prize of sorts.

RA

Despite some rumours on Twitter, Severin Carrell has confirmed with Falkirk council that it is “simply not true” polling stations closed early because 100% of their local voters turned up.

All polling stations will be open until 10pm BST. You’ve still got plenty of time if you haven’t yet voted.

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From Strasbourg, Le Monde has a fascinating article which claims the EU is “secretly ... praying that the Scots will vote against independence” and that Euro MPs are “struggling to hide their embarrassment” if there is a yes victory:

Officiellement, rien n’est dit qui puisse contrarier le droit souverain, la volonté d’un peuple. Mais secrètement, l’Union européenne (UE) prie pour que les Ecossais votent non à l’indépendance. A quelques heures du résultat d’un scrutin historique, attendu dans la nuit du jeudi 18 au vendredi 19 septembre, les parlementaires à Strasbourg peinent à masquer leur embarras si le oui l’emportait.

Why? “How can we say yes to Ukraine and no to Scotland?” suggests one Euro MP.

The Le Monde report, of course, comes hot on the heels of yesterday’s Guardian report from Brussels:

The Scottish question has senior EU officials and diplomats breaking out in a sweat … On the whole, Brussels is praying for a no victory.”

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The political mindgames, inevitably, are beginning:

Here’s a brilliant at-a-glance guide to expected declaration times for results tonight from the Guardian’s head of graphics, Cath Levett:

Francois Hollande, the president of France, is having none of the “auld alliance” historical romance between France and an independent Scotland.

Holding a rare press conference this afternoon, Hollande was asked about the vote by a Spanish journalist and replied: “Who can say what the result ... will be of this referendum, which could decide the future of the United Kingdom but also of Europe?” Earlier he warned: “If the European project is diluted, the door is open ... to selfishness, populism and separatism.”

In other news, Hollande is the least popular French president in modern times, which takes some doing.

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The person charged after an alleged assault at a polling station today is a former council leader, Press Association reports:

A former council leader has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged assault at a polling station.

Marie Rimmer, 67, a former leader of St Helens council in Merseyside, was arrested this afternoon after a woman was allegedly assaulted near Shettleston community centre in Glasgow.

The centre, in the city’s Amulree Street, was being used as a polling station for people to cast their votes in the Scottish independence referendum.

Rimmer is expected to appear at Glasgow Sheriff Court at a later date. A police spokeswoman said: “Police Scotland can confirm that a 67-year-old woman has been arrested and charged in connection with an alleged assault on a female following an incident at Shettleston community centre in Amulree Street, Glasgow, around 1pm today.

“A report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal.”