Guidance for Candidates and Agents at Scottish Parliament elections

All documents available for supply and inspection are retained by the Constituency Returning Officer (CRO). The names and contact details of CROs will be updated and made available prior to scheduled elections on our website.

Inspection and supply of the marked registers and lists of absent voters1  

The marked electoral registers and lists of absent voters show who has been issued with a ballot paper, who has returned their postal ballot paper, and who has had a proxy vote cast on their behalf.

You can inspect or obtain copies of the marked register of electors and lists of absent voters after the election if you make a request in writing to the CRO. 

If you stood as a constituency candidate, you can inspect or obtain copies of the marked registers and lists of absent voters across the constituency. 

If you stood as an individual regional candidate or were a candidate on a party list who has been elected you can have access to the marked registers and lists of absent voters across the region.

You can only use the information obtained from these documents for research or electoral purposes.

The request for inspection must be made in writing and specify:2

• which documents are requested
• the purposes for which the information in any document will be used
• where the request is to inspect the marked register or lists, any reason why inspecting the full register or unmarked lists would not be sufficient to achieve that purpose
• who will inspect the documents
• the date on which they wish to inspect the documents, and 
• whether they would prefer to inspect the documents in a printed or data form

Inspection is under supervision and will be free of charge. You will not be able to take copies but may make handwritten notes.

The request for supply must be made in writing and specify:3   

• which of the marked register or lists (or the relevant part of the register or lists) are requested
• whether a printed copy of the records or lists is requested or a copy in data form
• the purposes for which the marked register or lists will be used and why the supply or purchase of a copy of the full register or unmarked lists would not be sufficient to achieve that purpose

The requested document will be supplied for a fee of £10 plus £2 (for printed versions) or £1 (for data versions) per 1,000 entries.4  

Note that after 12 months these documents held by the CRO will be destroyed, unless a court order directs otherwise.

Under data protection legislation, personal data processed for any purpose shall not be kept for longer than is necessary for that purpose. If you request and are supplied with any of the information listed above, once the purpose for collecting this data has passed, you need to consider if there is a reason for you to retain that data. If there is not you should ensure secure destruction of any data held.

Nomination papers cannot be inspected after the election. They can only be inspected until the deadline for making objections to nomination papers, and only by those entitled to attend.

Inspection of other election documents

You can inspect other election documents, but you will not be allowed to make any notes or take copies of these documents. The only documents that cannot be inspected are:5   

• the ballot papers
• the corresponding number lists
• the certificates allowing polling station staff to vote at the polling station they are working at

After 12 months all of the election documents that are held by the CRO will be destroyed, unless a court order directs otherwise.6  

Inspection of election spending returns7   

Spending returns and declarations are held by the CRO and Regional Returning Officer.

Spending returns and declarations can be inspected by any person after they have been submitted. Copies can also be made for a fee of 20p per side.8    

Spending returns and declarations are kept for two years. You can request to have them returned to you or your agent at the end of this period. If you or your agent does not want them back, the spending returns and declarations will be destroyed.