Election 2026
The Scottish Parliament election is on Thursday 7 May.
There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Everyone in Scotland is represented by 8 MSPs. One is a constituency MSP and the other 7 are regional MSPs. When you vote, you will receive two ballot papers. One is for you to choose your constituency MSP. The other is for you to choose a political party (or independent candidate) for your region.
The Scottish Parliament does not run elections. Instead, an independent body called The Electoral Commission does. For any questions about:
- your right to vote
- where to go on election day, or
- postal votes
Please get in touch with the Commission.
Dissolution
In the run-up to an election, the parliament is dissolved to allow for campaigning to happen. This period is called ‘dissolution’.
The parliament will be in recess from 26 March to 8 April. Dissolution is expected to begin on 9 April.
Parliament business during dissolution
During dissolution, the parliament stops sitting. This means:
- MSPs stop being Members of the Scottish Parliament. They can't use parliament resources for elections, and they can't take on new casework
- Committees close
- Any Bills that have not passed will fall
- Petitions cannot be submitted
- All motions (and amendments to motions) fall
- Cross-party groups cease to exist
During dissolution some roles continue. These are:
- the Presiding Officer, Deputy Presiding Officers and members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body continue to manage the parliamentary estate, staff and services
- Scottish Government ministers carry out essential government business. They won't make any major policy decisions
Visiting the Parliament during dissolution
The Scottish Parliament building is open to the public during dissolution.
Visiting the Parliament building
Please note, there will be no education sessions during dissolution – visit sessions restart on Tuesday 19 May.
Voting
At Scottish Parliament elections, every voter has two votes: one for their constituency and one for their region.
With your:
- constituency vote – you’re choosing an individual candidate to represent you
- regional vote – you’re choosing a party or independent candidate to represent you
Constituency votes are counted first. The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins.
Regional votes are counted next, and regional MSPs are elected using a formula. This means that the number of seats a party gets in total across a region is about the same as the percentage of votes it receives.
How Scotland is divided up for elections
Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies, each one represented by 1 MSP. Scotland is also divided into 8 regions (larger areas covering several constituencies). Each region is represented by 7 MSPs.
This results in 129 MSPs in total: 73 constituency MSPs and 56 regional MSPs.
Constituency boundaries are changing at this election. You can see the new constituency boundaries using the tool below.
How will seats change at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election?
How the First Minister is elected
When you vote, you are not electing the First Minister.
Instead, the First Minister is elected by the new MSPs. They will vote for one MSP that they think should be the First Minister. In every previous election, the winner has been the leader of the biggest party.
After the election
After an election, every MSP is sworn in by taking an oath or affirmation. The parliament then appoints:
- the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers
- the First Minister
The First Minister then selects ministers for the Scottish Government. Members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body are appointed, and parliamentary committees are established.
Any Bills that fell at the end of the last session can be reintroduced and the process would begin again from the start.
Petitions can be submitted again. Cross-party groups can also now be re-established.