Votes counted in Scotland's local election

The results of local elections across Scotland will be announced later as counting gets under way.

Voters went to the polls on Thursday to elect 1,227 councillors across the country's 32 local authorities.

The ballot will determine which political parties can form council administrations either by securing majority or minority control, or by agreeing coalition deals.

The election uses the single transferable vote (STV) system, which asks voters to rank candidates in order of preference, with three or four councillors being elected to serve any one ward.

Counting of the ballots is expected to get under way at around 9am on Friday with the first results expected at about lunchtime.

A fuller picture should emerge by late afternoon, however it could take several days for coalition administrations to be formed.

The local government election took place just five weeks before the General Election, and will provide an indication of support ahead of the Westminster poll.

The SNP is hoping to oust Labour from power in Glasgow City Council - Scotland's largest local authority - where their rivals have been in charge since the authority was set up more than 20 years ago.

After winning overall control of two of Scotland's 32 local authorities in 2012, the nationalists are also seeking to increase the number of town halls which are under their command.

The Scottish Conservatives will aim to build on their success at last year's Holyrood election which saw leader Ruth Davidson win a constituency seat in Edinburgh.

The Tories, who returned one councillor in Glasgow in 2012, will also hope to boost their numbers there after returning two regional MSPs for the city in the 2016 Holyrood poll.

The Liberal Democrats and Greens - who are fielding a record number of candidates in Scotland - are also hoping to make gains.

Meanwhile polls have warned that Labour, which won a majority in four councils five years ago, could be facing ''heavy losses''.

Nicola Sturgeon has said it will be "hugely significant'' if her party manages to take control in Glasgow, Scotland's largest local authority.

The nationalists' hopes of gaining control at the previous council election 2012 were thwarted but they have since won a landslide victory at the 2015 General Election and held on to power at last year's Holyrood poll while Labour slipped into third place behind the Conservatives.

Labour hopes to retain majority control of the city chambers, having been in power there since 1980, and fielded 43 candidates for the 85 seats split across 23 multi-member wards.

The SNP fielded 56 candidates, while the Liberal Democrats and Conservatives both had 23 and the Greens had 20.

The Tories will also hope to add to their one councillor elected in 2012 after returning two regional MSPs for the city in the 2016 Holyrood election.

A recent report by polling expert John Curtice indicated Labour could lose control of Glasgow.

He said the party "seems unlikely'' to retain control at any of the four councils where it won an overall majority in 2012 - Glasgow, North Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and West Dunbartonshire.

During the election campaign, SNP leader Ms Sturgeon said a win for her party would be hugely significant'' but she added it would "take nothing for granted''.

She said: "Labour have run Glasgow for a long time so ousting them and putting in place a new city government is not going to be easy, but it's what we're focused on doing.''

She claimed the city council had completely lost its way'' under Labour.

Labour deputy leader Tom Watson visited Glasgow to campaign and said voters faced a choice between "Labour's plan to move Glasgow forward or the SNP obsession with holding another referendum over all priorities''.

• local election