The people of Dunfermline will today cast their votes and decide who replaces Bill Walker.
Voting opened at 7am and the polls will close at 10pm, with an announcement expected in the early hours as to which of the seven candidates will be the Fife town’s new representative at Holyrood.
Seven would-be MSPs put their name forward: Peter Adams from Ukip; Independent John Black; Cara Hilton of Labour; Scottish Green Zara Kitson; Liberal Democrat Susan Leslie; James Reekie of the Conservatives; and the SNP’s Shirley-Anne Somerville.
Although the area is traditionally seen as a Labour stronghold the party’s Thomas Docherty represents Dunfermline and West Fife at Westminster Willie Rennie won a 2006 UK by-election for the Liberal Democrats and his colleague Jim Tolson held the old Holyrood constituency of Dunfermline West until 2011.
It was in 2011 the SNP made their breakthrough locally, with former councillor Walker winning the seat by the narrowest of margins as part of a historic landslide victory enjoyed by the Nationalists.
However, a majority of just 590, the fact the SNP are a mid-term, second-term Government coupled with Walker’s subsequent conviction for domestic abuse mean they start as underdogs.
For full by-election coverage see Friday’s Courier or try our digital edition.