Residents in the north-east constituency of Troup will today vote to elect a new councillor following the death of John Duncan.
Mr Duncan – who was in his 80s – had served the communities of Macduff, King Edward, New Aberdour, Rosehearty, Sandhaven and his home village of Gamrie since being first elected as a Conservative in 2002.
His death, as well as shocking his peers in September, prompted the local authority to hold a by-election to find a new councillor for the three-member constituency.
It has prompted seven candidates to vie for the seat on Aberdeenshire Council in the past month.
People living within the communities of Troup will now make the decision between Ann Bell (Liberal Democrat), Ross Cassie (SNP), Alan Duffill (Labour), Darren Duncan (Green), Iain Taylor (Conservative) and independents Philip Mitchell and Alan Still when they take to the polls from 7am this morning.
The official count will take place tomorrow and be conducted electronically in Macduff Town Hall where a winner will be announced.
Mark Findlater, one of Troup’s two current councillors, had previously offered advise to the would-be politicians.
He said: “It was really tough for myself, coming in, the learning curve was exponential.
“There’s an awful lot more to it than just going to community councils and area meetings.
“One of the main jobs is to represent your constituents and the groups in your area – to be a catalyst, an adviser to these things.”
Last night, councillor Hamish Partridge added: “I certainly wish the best of luck to all of the candidates.
“It is a steep learning curve to find your way around. At the end of the day, Aberdeenshire Council is a massive organisation.
“The most important thing is to be there for the community and the people within the community. They elect you. You’re there to represent their best interests. I would encourage any councillor coming in to this to put the area, the towns, the villages and the people first.”
In the lead up to the vote, candidates had taken part in a hustings event in Rosehearty where they made their cases for election.
Voting closes at 10pm tonight at polling stations across Troup.