The next election to the Scottish Parliament is on Thursday 5 May 2016.
Read our voter information booklet for more information
You can also download alternative formats and languages of our voter information booklet.
Register to vote
The deadline to register to vote for the Scottish Parliament election on Thursday 5 May has now passed.
If you are not sure whether you are registered to vote, you should contact your local elections office. They will be able to let you know.
To find the contact details for your local electoral registration office, enter your postcode in the Your local area section of our homepage.
Who can vote?
To vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election you must be:
- 16 years of age or over on polling day
- a British citizen, a qualifying Commonwealth citizen, or a citizen of the European Union
- resident in Scotland
What does the Scottish Parliament do?
The Scottish Parliament represents the people of Scotland.It has the power to make decisions and pass laws on devolved matters.
Find out more on the work of the Scottish Parliament
How is it elected?
Scottish Parliamentary elections use the additional member system to elect 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies, each of which elects one MSP, and eight larger regions which elect seven MSPs each.
You will be given two ballot papers, a constituency ballot and a regional ballot.
- With the constituency ballot you vote for one candidate you want to represent your constituency.
- With the regional ballot you choose a list of party candidates or an independent candidate to represent your region
The winner in each constituency is the candidate who gets the most votes. In a region, the seven seats are allocated based on the proportion of votes cast for each party list or independent candidate. If a party wins one seat it goes to the first person on their list, if they win another it goes to the second, and so on.
Find out more about how this voting system works
Who is standing for election in my area?
Local authorities publish names of candidates who are standing in an election around three weeks before polling day. To find the contact details for your local electoral registration office, enter your postcode in the Your local area section of our homepage.
