From Sky News (SOURCE LINK): “The No campaign has drawn first blood in the Scotland referendum after claiming the most votes in the first declared region.
Counting continues across the country in the 31 remaining voting areas after Clackmannanshire announced 19,036 sided with the Better Together campaign – compared to 16,350 who supported independence.
More than four million voters were asked the simple question: “Should Scotland be an independent country?”
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The result is expected to go down to the wire, with polls in the last two weeks of the campaign suggesting the result is too close to call.
A Yes vote will bring an end to the Union of the United Kingdom that has stood for 307 years.
A poll taken by YouGov after people voted in the Scottish referendum predicts a victory for No by 54% to 46% for Yes.
The survey involved 1,828 people after they voted today, together with the postal votes of 800 people, and was not a traditional exit poll.
YouGov President Peter Kellner told Sky News: “I can’t see No losing this now.
“If we have got this wrong, if Yes win, we and by extension other pollsters, have got something badly wrong.
“At the obvious risk of looking like a complete prat in eight hours’ time, I would say it is a 99% certainty of a No victory.”
Despite the survey, the chairman of Yes Scotland, former Labour MP Dennis Canavan, told Sky News: “I’m still optimistic … I’m not at this stage conceding the result.”
But he admitted it was “probably correct” the vote would settle the independence question for a lifetime.
Speaking on Sky News, Blair McDougall, the Better Together campaign director, welcomed the high turnout.
“There has been the biggest super-poll in Scottish political history today with probably the biggest turnout in recent political history.
“Let’s see what happens – I think we will win.”
Sky News has learned officials at the referendum count in Glasgow are investigating 10 cases of suspected electoral fraud at polling stations.
Although the votes are being counted at 32 regional centres – whichever side “wins” in each area is irrelevant.
All that matters is whoever gets the most overall – even if it is by a single vote.”
