Just three candidates had declared for the right to represent Buckie on the Moray Council by the time nominations closed at 4pm on Monday.
Independent candidate Norman Calder will take on the SNP’s Sonya Warren and Scottish Conservative Tim Eagle for the right to contest the election, called after the death of independent councillor Joe Mackay.
Electors now have until Tuesday, March 10 to register to vote if they have not already done so. The following day, March 11, is the closing date for applications for postal ballots which will then be sent out on or around Friday, March 13.
The Buckie ward takes in Arradoul, Buckpool, Buckie, Rathven, Portessie and Findochty. There will be eight polling stations in six polling places – Buckpool Golf Club, Buckie Methodist Hall, Buckie North Church Hall, Buckie Royal British Legion Hall, Portessie Methodist Hall and Findochty Town Hall.
The poll will be conducted by single transferable vote (STV), where electors cast their vote by marking their preference using numbers – 1 for their first choice, 2 for their second choice and so on rather than using a cross ‘X’.
The count will take place on Friday, March 27 at the Fishermen’s Hall in Buckie and will be conducted manually rather than electronically.
More information on registering to vote is available at www.votemoray.org or by calling the electoral registration office on 01343 541203. For any other query contact the elections office at Moray Council on 01343 563334 or e-mail election.enquiries@moray.gov.uk.