Thousands of north-east votes cast in the upcoming Scottish election could still be counted at P&J Live, as venue bosses pledge to make room for the vital vote.
The promise to find space for the count – perhaps in the arena last graced by music star Lewis Capaldi – comes as the £394 million complex prepares for thousands to pass through its doors in the coming months for their Covid jabs.
Scotland is still due to go to the polls to elect new MSPs for the Holyrood parliament on May 6, despite the pandemic.
But Monday, the first north-east patients – mainly from Aberdeen – will be treated at the mass vaccination centre set up in the hall which hosted the December 2019 Westminster count.
More than 10,000 people are expected to receive initials injections in its first seven days.
But the Bucksburn venue’s head of event management, Patrick Lynn, said: “Any election count can certainly work in conjunction with what we are doing just now.”
“The mass immunisation centre is in halls A, B and C but you have the arena is sitting empty just across from us, which hosts 15,000 people as well.
“And above the immunisation centre there are two conference suites which can host another 1,000 each and other rooms which can hold 200 each as well – so there is a huge amount of space going unused just now.”
The Scottish Parliament passed a bill in the days before Christmas to ensure the vote could go ahead, while election officials prepare for a steep rise in postal voting.
Previously The Press And Journal revealed government bosses had considered calling off the crucial poll to stem the spread of coronavirus.
