Local council elections in Scotland

1 May 2012: Update to Part 3 following request from Scottish Court Service

We have updated the contact details for election petitions in our guidance document Part 3: The campaign (PDF) after receiving a request from the Scottish Court Service.

27 February 2012: Amendment to Part 5 following legislative change

We have updated our guidance document Part 5: After the declaration of result to reflect changes made by new legislation. This legislation changes what voting information is to be published by Returning Officers and reduces the fee for the marked registers and absent voters’ lists.

6 February 2012: Change to Scottish local Government candidate spending limit

From 12 March 2012 the spending limit for the regulated period will be £705 plus 6p per local government elector in the ward on Thursday 22 March 2012. We have updated our guidance document Part 6: Candidate spending to reflect this change.

Contents

• Qualifications for standing for election
• Disqualifications from standing for election

Resources

• List of Commonwealth countries
• List of EU member states

Contents

• Completing and submitting your nomination papers
• Being nominated in more than one ward
• What happens after the close of nominations?
• Appointing your election agent and other agents
• What happens if a candidate dies?

Resources

• Nomination papers (including election agent notification form)
• Withdrawal form
• Polling agent appointment form
• Postal voting agent appointment form
• Counting agent appointment form

Contents

• Completing and submitting your nomination papers
• Nomination in more than one ward
• What happens after the close of nominations
• Appointing your election agent and other agents
• What happens if a candidate dies?

Resources

• Nomination papers (including election agent notification form)
• Withdrawal form
• Polling agent appointment form
• Postal voting agent appointment form
• Counting agent appointment form

Contents

• Campaigning dos and don'ts
• Using the electoral register and absent voters' lists
• Using schools and rooms for public meetings
• Imprints on campaign publicity material
• Polling day dos and don'ts
• Reporting allegations of electoral malpractice
  

Resources

• Register request form
• Absent voters' list request form
• Tellers’ guidance
• Tellers’ dos and don’ts
• Code of conduct on handling absent vote applications and postal votes
• Secrecy requirements

Contents

• Attending the opening of postal votes and what to expect
• Attending polling stations and what to expect
• Attending the count and what to expect

Resources

• Polling agent appointment form
• Postal voting agent appointment form
• Counting agent appointment form
• Secrecy requirements
• Tellers’ guidance
• Tellers’ dos and don’ts

Contents

• Making the declaration of acceptance of office
• Access to election paperwork
• Submitting your spending returns and declarations
• Questioning the result through an election petition

Resources

• Candidate's spending return (PDF)
• Candidate's declaration (PDF)
• Agent's declaration (PDF)

Contents

• How much you can spend
• The activities covered by the rules
• What information needs to be recorded and reported

Resources

• Candidate's spending return (PDF)
• Candidate's declaration (PDF)
• Agent's declaration (PDF)

Date

Event