Elections and voting

Services

Elections and voting

Regular elections are held for the council, Scottish Parliament, Westminster and European Parliament.

The next scheduled election is for the Scottish Parliament will be held on 5th May 2011. It is likely that a referendum on the voting system for the Westminster Parliament will be held on the same day.

To make sure that your voice is heard you need to register to vote (new window) . If you are unsure about whether you are registered you can contact the Electoral Registration Office on 0131 344 2500 to check. You must be registered to be able to vote. You don't even need to be at home to vote.

From the area you live in and how you get about to the food you eat and how you spend your spare time, politics can affect all areas of your daily life. Voting is one of the easiest ways you can make your opinion count.

If you are over 16-years-of-age you can register to vote, but you can't vote until you are 18 years old. If you recently moved home, please check that you are registered at your new address so that you don't miss out.

Scottish Parliamentary constituency boundaries are under review by the Boundary Commission for Scotland (new window) and the final recommendations have been submitted to the Secretary of State for Scotland.

For further information contact the Elections Office.