Chief Rabbi among hundreds of people turned away at polls
Corbyn’s optimism on council seat gain was ‘misinterpreted’
GuardianWitness: what’s happening where you are?
10.42am BST
According to the Electoral Commission Scotland, the total number of Scots who have registered to vote in today’s election is 4,100,280 – including the 16 and 17 year olds voting for the first time in a Scottish parliamentary election, writes Libby Brooks.
This is a couple of hundred thousand voters less than the historically high number who registered to vote in the 2014 Scottish independence referendum – which also included 16 and 17 years olds. The campaign saw voter registration drives in deprived areas which traditionally did not engage with politics.
10.39am BST
Voting in full swing in Bristol where the independent incumbent George Ferguson is once again fighting off a determined challenge from Labour’s Marvin Rees for the position of directly-elected mayor.
Great day to #vote for #Bristol. An encouraging start! Thanks to all those who work so hard to keep our city ticking pic.twitter.com/NXhX794aVs
If you've voted for me, RT/share this image and get the message out there. You might inspire someone to do the same! pic.twitter.com/J8gYnmXIwg
Related: Bristol mayoral hopefuls sling 'elite' jibes
10.36am BST
If you’re voting in the mayoral elections in Bristol, Liverpool, London or Salford you might be puzzled on how best to use your second vote.
There’s a Guardian guide for that:
Related: London mayoral election: how to make the most of your second vote
10.27am BST
We’ve been hearing from readers in Barnet who have been unable to vote, via GuardianWitness, writes James Walsh. Suffice to say, they aren’t very impressed with the council. However, one reader reports that voters are now able to vote without a polling card - albeit slowly.
Barnet polling stations are a shambles this morning! Unless you took your polling card with you you were turned away, as the stations haven't received the electoral lists so they can check your name and address and issue you with a ballot paper.
According to Barnet https://www.barnet.gov.uk/citizen-home/news/Electoral-registration-lists.html you need to return later today and take your card with you. Does that mean if you don't have it you still won't be able to vote.
Sent via GuardianWitness
By elblanco32
5 May 2016, 9:49
I went along with my wife, without polling cards, which had not arrived. My wife was on the list and was allowed to vote. I was not on the list, but got a vote after the Presiding Officer received my voting number by telephone. Our son had applied for a postal vote, but he was on the list as a paper vote (postal votes are marked "(a)"). He has therefore lost his first ever voting opportunity. Brave face put on by all in the face of adversity.
Sent via GuardianWitness
By SSSSteve
5 May 2016, 9:43
Just came back from voting in Totteridge, Barnet. The polling staff are now calling to confirm voters are on the Electoral Register if they arent on the list - its a slow process, but people are now getting to vote.
Sent via GuardianWitness
By msugarman1
5 May 2016, 9:51
Barnet’s latest statement is garbage. I was turned away WITH a polling card this morning. Isn't outsourcing great?
Sent via GuardianWitness
By adorno77
5 May 2016, 9:48
10.24am BST
Its a perfect day for voting in St Ives in Cornwall Steve Morris reports.
Blue skies, blue waters - we love St Ives!#stives #cornwall #kernow @SelectCornwall @CornwaII @Tate_StIves @stivestv pic.twitter.com/lDBYv16QGR
10.18am BST
This symbolises the shambles in Barnet if true: one of the council’s cabinet members, Dean Cohen was turned away from a polling station in Golders Green, according Justin Cohen, news editor of the Jewish Chronicle.
Barnet Council cabinet member Cllr Dean Cohen turned away from voting in Golders Green amid voting list errors across borough
UK Chief Rabbi Mirvis "disappointed" after turned away by Barnet polling station https://t.co/zPkayZmAAv #PollingDay pic.twitter.com/ggFVdXwn1k
10.10am BST
The Guardian’s Jamie Grierson is heading for Barnet councils offices after being asked to leave a polling station in East Finchley.
Staff at East Finchley library polling station tell me voting problems now resolved but did not specify how. Then asked me to leave.
10.06am BST
The final poll of the Scottish election campaign, by YouGov for the Times, recorded a fall in support for the Scottish National party and a decline in a voter satisfaction with its record, writes Severin Carrell.
The poll, published as polling stations opened on Thursday, still gives the SNP a sizeable lead over Labour and the Tories, who remain neck and neck in the race for second place, but it suggests Nicola Sturgeon may fail to beat the SNP’s record tally of 69 seats won in 2011. She needs to win 65 seats for an overall majority.
10.03am BST
In Zac Goldsmith’s Richmond Park constituency voting was brisk first thing this morning, writes Sandra Laville.
Margaret Padfield was one of more than 70 people who voted before 9am at Richmond Library.
10.01am BST
Steven Morris has four points to look out for in the Welsh assembly elections”
9.55am BST
David and Samantha Cameron have cast their votes.
Sam and I just got back from voting - whatever you're doing today, make sure you #VoteConservative and #BackZac2016. pic.twitter.com/dfSW6aQnS8
9.54am BST
The Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, witnessed some of the polling problems in Barnet when she went to vote in Finchley. She was told that for two hours no one could vote unless they produced their polling cards. She predicts that the council could face a legal challenge because voters should be allowed to vote without their polling cards.
9.44am BST
From impromptu debates on buses to poetry recitals in corner shops, the grassroots campaign Take Back the City is taking politics to the streets of London, disillusioned with mainstream parties. John Harris meets community organiser Amina Gichinga, a candidate in Thursday’s London assembly elections. He also attempts to speak to Labour mayoral candidate Sadiq Khan about the housing crisis gripping the city.
9.42am BST
Here’s the latest statement from Barnet on its polling shambles.
We are aware of problems with our electoral registration lists this morning at polling stations in Barnet which have meant that a number of people who had not brought their polling card with them were unable to vote.
We are working to resolve this issue and the updated registers have been sent to all the polling stations, which we expect to be in place by 10am. In the meantime, people who have their polling cards with them are able to vote.
9.33am BST
Guardian commentator Aditya Chakrabortty warned us about problems of accountability under the ultra-outsourcing regime at Barnet council back in December 2014. He wrote:
This is what happens when you lose locally accountable public servants. It’s also the cost of losing local expertise. Take the legal department, now run out of Harrow. The result was that in early summer, Barnet councillors were given the wrong reports to vote on. The resulting mockery led to the commissioning of an independent report that stated on its first page: “There is no one who understands local government law in depth at Barnet. Barnet employs no lawyers.”
“We arrived at the polling station at 8ish to be told only four people have voted so far.
We had our ballot papers and they checked their lists, but we were not on there. They advised us to call the helpline but had no further information.
I assume @BarnetCouncil realise it's quite wrong for you to require voters to take polling cards to vote. Surely legal challenge to this?
I think Barnet is a fantastically well run council. But dear oh dear, this is up with the worst cock ups of all time. Shameful incompetence
The way this is heading, I don't see how a result can be declared to Mayoral election until Barnet is reballoted.
9.15am BST
There are signs of a relatively high turnout in the middle class enclave of Muswell Hill, north London, writes Robert Booth.
Around 150 people voted in the first hour and three quarters at the Birchwood Avenue polling station and there was a queue at the 7am opening time, which the officials said was unusual.
9.11am BST
Jeremy Corbyn has cast his vote.
9.05am BST
Meanwhile, our North of England editor Helen Pidd, reports on the local elections in Manchester.
The 2.7m residents of Greater Manchester today will not get to vote for a new police and crime commissioner (PCC), unlike everywhere else in England and Wales that is not London. That’s because as part of its devolution deal with George Osborne, the combined authority opted to scrap the position and replace it with an elected mayor.
#Didsbury polls are now OPEN! #expectmore and vote for a fresh voice, vote for John Leech. RT if your supporting! pic.twitter.com/brij5udKHs
9.00am BST
Would-be Barnet voter Jennifer Lipman is not satisfied by the council’s response to the polling shambles after she was one of many of those turned away from a polling station in the borough.
Fuming about my inability to vote. Even if Barnet sort it. many people won't be able to go back later #Barnet #LondonMayor2016
This is how #Barnet voted in 2012. In 2012 Boris won by 62,538 votes. #Barnet #LondonMayor2016 pic.twitter.com/pjvFi95v6k
8.51am BST
Barnet Council is urging voters who have been turned away from polling station to return later in the day while it tries to resolve the problems with its voting lists.
Please can voters unable to vote this morning return to their polling station later if possible. We apologise for these problems.
We are aware of problems with voting registers at our polling stations. This being resolved. Please take voting cards with you.
8.47am BST
Barnet polling shambles update: There are unconfirmed reports that hundreds of people and whole streets have been left off the voting register.
I'm hearing it's not just the odd individual name missing from Barnet polling station lists - but whole streets' worth of people.
Am now being told that polling stations across the London Borough of Barnet have been given incorrect voting lists. Hundreds can't vote.
8.37am BST
The two leading candidates for London mayor, Zac Goldsmith and Sadiq Khan, have both cast their votes. Neither were voting in Barnet.
8.29am BST
Labour is blaming the problems in Barnet on the council’s decision to outsource its electoral services.
London Assembly member Tom Copley said the problems could lead to a legal challenge.
Barnet, of course, have outsourced the running of their electoral services department
Not looking so fair in Barnet as the outsourced electoral services company has screwed up the register and voters are being turned away.
8.25am BST
Barnet council have told the Evening Standard that they are aware of a problem with voting lists and are investigating.
Barnet Council say they're aware of a problem with the list and are investigating. Will keep you posted #LondonElects #London2016
Absolute shambles in #barnet. Lots of registered voters not on list and so unable to vote. @BarnetCouncil
Turned away to vote at hoop lane polling station in #Barnet, only 4 able to vote there so far. Major issue. Any ideas @BarnetLabour
Heard same in Hendon - apparently the helpline hanging up on people too https://t.co/SSdA2v5zWK
8.16am BST
There are reports of chaotic scenes at polling stations in the London borough of Barnet after voters reported being turned away because of incomplete polling lists.
Reader Ben Overlander said he was told to come back after lunch because voting lists were incomplete. He emailed:
I’ve just left a fractious polling station in Finchley Central, N3. They had incomplete lists so I was told to come back after lunch. Many people not able to come back so simply excluded from the vote.
Absolute shambles in Finchley, as polling station appears to have missed details of most voters off list. Problem apparently Barnet-wide.
Six more people denied vote at East Finchley Library as they don't have their poll cards #LondonVotes #BarnetDoesntVote
@BarnetCouncil what are you doing about this? https://t.co/EVWWNN6CAA
8.04am BST
Are the aircraft contrails trying to tell us something?
Spotted this SIGN on my way to the polling station this morning. #PollingDay pic.twitter.com/WRJAW1fCQU
8.01am BST
Welsh and Scottish nationalist leaders have been wishing each other luck in their separate elections.
The SNP’s Nicola Sturgeon said she was “proud” to call Plaid Cymru’s leader Leane Wood a friend.
Good luck to @Plaid_Cymru in the Welsh elections tomorrow. Proud to call @LeanneWood a friend - she would be a great FM of Wales.
Good luck to all in @theSNP for tomorrow too. Warmest wishes @NicolaSturgeon & team from all of us in @Plaid_Cymru. https://t.co/k84RbIGj9m
7.47am BST
Polls suggest the SNP is in line to take the largest share of seats in the election for the Scottish parliament after its landslide victory in 2011 created the first Holyrood majority government, PA reports.
7.40am BST
The two leading candidates for London mayor, Zac Goldmisth and Sadiq Khan, have wasted no time in urging their supporters to get out and vote.
Today's the day. Polls are open from 7am-10pm. Share to let friends know you back my Action Plan for Greater London. pic.twitter.com/2Nl9dgXKsX
Good morning London! Today is Election Day, make sure you vote. #TeamKhan https://t.co/xXQezxZm0y pic.twitter.com/ZWPnn4RKgS
Tomorrow's the day. Thanks to everyone who has helped on my campaign. #LondonMayor2016 pic.twitter.com/iuC9C5NopH
7.17am BST
Welcome to our live coverage of polling day on one of the biggest set of elections outside of a general election for years.
Polling stations opened at 7am and will close at 10pm in a series of separate elections across the UK. In Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland there are parliamentary and assembly contests. In England almost 2,000 council seats up for grabs and there are separate ballots for 40 police and crime commissioners in England and Wales.
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