In Scottish Parliament elections, each voter has two votes, a vote for a constituency MSP (the area of the city or area that you live in, e.g. Edinburgh South) and a regional MSP (e.g. Midlothian). Out of the 129 elected MSPs there are 73 constituency MSPs and 56 additional regional MSPs (7 per region).
Accessing party manifestos, doing your research on candidate’s policies and their views on key issues, is the best way to back your decision and ease the pressure come election day.
Your constituency MSP (Member of Scottish Parliament) is the person who will represent you at the Scottish Parliament, raising issues in your area, meeting with constituents etc. These MSPs are elected using first past the post system, in simple terms this means that the candidate with the most votes wins. Regional votes work differently.
In Scotland and the wider UK, our elections decide representatives in parliament and not the First Minister or Prime Minister, this differs to presidential elections. It can be confusing having so many different election types, especially if you’re new to politics.
What other elections does the UK have?
- General Elections take place every 5 years and elect to the UK Parliament (Westminster). There are 650 MPs in the UK Parliament, and they’re elected using ‘first past the post’.
- Local government elections take place every 4 years and these elect local councillors. Local governments will do one of the following: Elect all the local councillors every 4 years, elect half the local councillors every 2 years, elect one third of the local councillors every year for 3 years and hold no elections in the 4th year.
- Referendums take place when there is a single issue vote, such as Scottish Independence or Brexit, typically you have two options. These can be national, regional or local.
With so many parties in the running, it can be daunting trying to figure out who to vote for and what each candidate stands for. The changing political climate may also play a role in what matters to you and what you feel best represents your values. It is important to stay informed so that you make the best possible decision. Accessing party manifestos, doing your research on candidate’s policies and their views on key issues, is the best way to back your decision and ease the pressure come election day.
If you plan to vote in person this will take place at your local polling station, which you can find online at ‘Find my polling place’ via your local councils’ website. All polling stations are open 7am – 10pm.
For postal votes, you must have checked the registration deadline as these can expire. The posting deadline for these ballot papers can be found with instructions on your ballot paper.
