Monklands voters set to go to the polls for Euro elections

May 27 2009 by Judith Tonner, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

POLLING cards have been sent to houses all over Airdrie and Coatbridge ahead of next week’s European Parliamentary election.

Monklands residents and their fellow voters from all over Scotland are being asked to choose six MEPs to represent the national “constituency” in Brussels and Strasbourg for the next five years.

The vote takes place next Thursday, June 4 – and the papers will be counted three days later at Airdrie Leisure Centre.

It will become a hive of activity as ballot boxes are brought from every polling station in North Lanarkshire to the centre on Motherwell Street for the count.

Results will then be passed by returning officer Gavin Whitefield, the chief executive of North Lanarkshire Council, to the chief returning officer in Edinburgh for announcement the following day.

The parties standing for election in Scotland are Labour, the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Conservative, Christian Party, Jury Team, No2EU, Scottish Green Party, the SSP, Socialist Labour, UK Independence Party and British National Party.

Mr Whitefield said: “Voting in this election is very easy – voters simply place one X beside the candidate or party of their choice on the yellow ballot paper.

“Election staff will also be on hand in all polling stations to answer any questions that voters may have.”

Local voters are reminded to check the location of the polling station stated on their card, as some stations have changed since the last elections.