EDINBURGH, Scotland -- A record number of Scottish voters were expected to cast their votes on Thursday in a referendum on whether to split from the United Kingdom. Turnout among Scotland's 4.2 million registered voters was expected to top 80 percent and more than 2,500 polling stations were established to accommodate the flood. Voting kicked off at 7 a.m. local time (2 a.m. ET) and was due to close at 10 p.m. local time (5 p.m. ET). With opinion polls suggesting the result could be a very close call, the final result may not come until Friday morning in Scotland.
In Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, more than 200 polling places were open for business, containing a total of 483 ballot boxes. With the voting age at 16, school students in uniform were among the first to vote in the city of Edinburgh; many arrived at polling stations accompanied by their parents. Other Scots dropped in to vote on their way to work. "It was quite exciting - the campaign has been very intense so I am finally looking forward to getting the result," said Emma Burton, 29, a store worker from Morningside. "I just hope we've made the right choice."
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