- On Thursday 5 May 2022, council elections take place across Scotland
- In this election you vote using numbers on the ballot paper
Can I vote in this election?
You can vote in this election if you are registered to vote in Scotland and you’ll be aged 16 or over on Thursday 5 May 2022.
You must also be either:
- a British or Irish citizen
- a Commonwealth or European Union citizen, or any other foreign national who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need such permission
What am I voting for?
When you vote in this election, you are voting for candidates who are standing to be elected as councillors. Elected councillors will represent you on your local council.
Local councils are responsible for making decisions about how money is spent to provide local public services. These include:
- education
- social care
- housing
- roads and public transport
- the environment
- leisure and library services
- cultural services
- waste management
Each council in Scotland is divided into smaller areas called wards. Each ward will be represented by up to five councillors.
How do I fill in the ballot paper?
For this election you vote using numbers.
Your ballot paper will list all the candidates standing to be councillors in your ward. You will be asked to number the candidates in order of your choice using 1, 2, 3 and so on.
How many candidates can I vote for?
In this election you can make as many or as few choices as you wish.
- Put the number 1 in the voting box next to your first choice.
- Put the number 2 in the voting box next to your second choice.
- Put the number 3 in the voting box next to your third choice.
And so on. You don’t have to number every candidate.
If you make a mistake on your ballot paper, you can ask for a new one.
What are the different ways to vote?
At your polling station
Your poll card tells you where your polling place is. You don’t need your poll card to vote and if you lose it, or don’t receive it, you can find out where your polling place is on our website.
Polling places are open from 7am to 10pm.
By proxy (allowing somebody you trust to vote on your behalf)
To apply to vote by proxy, complete an application form and send it to your local electoral registration office to arrive by 5pm on Tuesday 26 April.
In an emergency where you cannot go to the polling place in person, you can apply for an emergency proxy up to 5pm on Thursday 5 May.
Postal voting
If you run out of time to post your vote, it can be returned to a polling station in your council area on polling day. You can return it yourself, or ask someone you trust to return it for you.
This information originated from the Electoral Commission website (https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/).