An election is to be held for Constituency & Regional Members to serve in the Scottish Parliament. Polling will take place between 7am and 10pm on Thursday 7 May 2026.
What are the closing dates for this election?
Deadline for Applications to be included on the Register of Electors for this election
- Midnight on Monday 20 April 2026
You can go online to register to vote – it only takes five minutes.
Deadline for Applications to Vote by Post (or to change existing postal or proxy voting arrangement)
- 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026
Please note, postal ballot papers may be delivered as late as 7 days before polling day.
Deadline for New Applications to Vote by Proxy
- 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026
- Changes to existing absent votes must be made by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.
You can download a copy of an application to vote by post or by proxy via our website.
Which voting system Do I use?
The system used for Scottish Parliament general elections is known as the Additional Member System (AMS). It is also sometimes referred to as a “mixed member system” or as “mixed member proportional representation”. This means that electors (people eligible to vote) have two votes.
A voter’s first vote is for their constituency MSP. A constituency MSP represents one constituency and is elected using the first past the post system. This means that the candidate with the most votes wins.
A person’s second vote is for a party or independent candidate. Regional MSPs represent one of the eight regions. Each region elects seven regional MSPs, who are elected under the additional member system. When casting their regional vote, voters choose between political parties rather than named individuals (except where individuals are standing as independent candidates on the regional list).
Unlike UK Parliament elections, you do not require photo ID to vote in local government elections in Scotland.
Voters will receive a poll card in the post to confirm the location of their polling station. It is not essential to take a poll card to the polling station when casting your vote. The poll card will be a standard A4 letter enclosed in an envelope.
Who Can Vote in this election?
To vote in this election electors must: –
- Be resident and registered to vote
- Be aged 16 or over on the day of election
- Be a British, Irish, qualifying Commonwealth citizen or a qualifying foreign national.
More information on electors eligibility criteria is available on our website.
When will the Election result be announced?
The count for this poll takes place the day following the election on Friday 8 May. Results will be made available via the constituent councils websites as soon as possible following the Declarations.
To request further information about registering to vote, applying for an absent vote (postal or proxy) or for all other enquiries please visit our contact details page.