Guidance for Returning Officers administering a Scottish Parliament election

In order to be validly nominated (whether as a constituency candidate, individual regional candidate or regional party list) £500 must be deposited with relevant Returning Officer by the close of nominations.1

You must accept deposits made using:

• legal tender (cash in British pounds only)
• UK banker’s draft2

You may refuse to accept a banker’s draft if you do not know whether the drawer carries on business as a banker in the United Kingdom.3

You can choose to accept funds by means of: 

• a building society cheque 
• a debit or credit card 
• electronic transfer of funds 

You should accept building society cheques if they carry out business in the United Kingdom. You should also accept banker’s payments which are orders issued by a bank, guaranteeing payment to the recipient. If you decide to accept any of these methods you should list them on the notice of election and make any requirements you have clear in the nomination pack.

If there is a fee attached to the form of payment, you can pass this on to the candidate. If so, you should make this clear on the notice of election and the nomination pack.

Constituency candidates

The deposit must be delivered to the CRO by the candidate (or someone acting on the candidate’s behalf).4 If the deposit is made by someone other than the candidate the person delivering the deposit must give their name and address, unless they have already provided this information as part of their notification of appointment as the candidate’s election agent.5

Individual regional candidates

The deposit must be delivered to the RRO by the individual regional candidate (or someone acting on the candidate’s behalf).6 If the deposit is made by someone other than the candidate the person delivering the deposit must give their name and address, unless they have already provided this information as part of their notification of appointment as the candidate’s election agent.7

Regional party nomination paper

The deposit must be delivered to the RRO by the party’s Nominating Officer (or someone acting on their behalf).8 If the deposit is made by someone other than Nominating Officer, the person delivering the deposit must give their name and address, unless they have already provided this information as part of their notification of appointment as the party list election agent or as a party list candidate.9