Running electoral registration - Scotland

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This guidance has been produced to support Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) in planning for and delivering well-run electoral registration services.

It has been developed in close consultation with colleagues across the electoral community including the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives (SOLACE), the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA), the Scottish Assessors Association (SAA), the UK Electoral Coordination and Advisory Board (ECAB), the Elections, Registration and Referendums Working Group (ERRWG) and the Welsh Electoral Practitioners Working Group (WEPWG).

It reflects the ERO’s legal obligations and what we, and colleagues across the electoral community, believe that EROs should expect of their staff in planning for and delivering well-run electoral registration services.

Performance Standards

In addition to our role in providing advice and guidance, we set standards and monitor the performance of EROs through our performance standards framework.

Our guidance to support the delivery of your functions includes what we expect EROs will need to have in place and what we would expect to see for the key outcomes of the standards to be delivered. You should be mindful of this framework in the planning and delivery of your registration functions.

For more information on the framework see our performance standards guidance for EROs.

How to use this guidance

The guidance is directed towards the ERO and the duties they carry out. As these duties may, in practice, be carried out by deputies and/or appointed staff, we use the term ‘you’ throughout this guidance to mean the ERO and whoever is carrying out the ERO’s functions on their behalf.

Throughout this guidance we use ‘must’ to refer to a specific legal requirement and ‘may / should’ for recommended practice.

To help you use this guidance we have produced a Q&A document that should answer any initial queries you may have.

Questions and answers document about our web based guidance

Updates to our guidance

Date of update	Description of change
November 2022	Voter Authority Certificates and Anonymous Elector's Documents guidance added.
December 2022	Emergency proxy provisions updated.
February 2023	Updates to: The requirement to Notify anonymous electors with Anonymous Elector's Documents about a replacement document Guidance on the Availability of Voter Authority Certificate application forms The determination of an application for a Voter Authority Certificate The issuing and collection of temporary Voter Authority Certificates The list of accepted documents for an application for anonymous registration
March 2023	Update to guidance on the management of photos submitted for Voter Authority Certificate and Anonymous Elector Document applications.
April 2023	Updates to: G uidance on the use of information supplied as part of an application for a Voter Authority Certificate or Anonymous Elector's Document. The processing of Crown Servant applications
September 2023	Updated guidance on Absent Voting (Post commencement of Elections Act measures) added
October 2023	Managing requests for postal vote applications guidance added to support decision making on the issue of a standalone or combined application form. Updates to: Confirming the outcome of a postal vote application where an elector may be eligible to vote by post in a different type of poll. Requirement to provide a fresh signature following a rejection notice where you are managing multiple absent voting records for an individual. Changes have been made on what to consider where a deadline for determination of absent vote applications does not exist, in the following guidance: Processing errors when inputting information for ID verification for postal vote applications (Post commencement) Determining postal vote applications close to a poll (Post commencement) Exceptions process for postal vote applications (Post commencement) The attestation process for postal vote applications (Post commencement) Determining applications for postal votes following the exceptions or attestation process (post commencement) Processing errors when inputting information for ID verification for proxy vote applications (Post commencement) Determining proxy vote applications close to a poll (Post commencement) The exceptions process for proxy vote applications (Post commencement) The attestation process for proxy vote applications (Post commencement) Determining applications for proxy vote following the exceptions or attestation process (Post commencement)
December 2023	Updated guidance on Overseas Electors (Post commencement of Elections Act measures) added
August 2024	Updated the following guidance on overseas electors eligibility to register under the previously registered or previously resident condition: Checking the applicant’s qualification to register under the previously registered condition Checking the applicants qualification to register under the previously resident condition Using evidence to support determination of eligibility conditions of an overseas elector's application
March 2026	Updated the following guidance on eligibility of patients detained in mental health hospitals on criminal grounds to register to vote: Can a patient in a mental health hospital register to vote? Can prisoners and patients detained in mental health hospital in relation to criminal conduct register to vote? How does legal incapacity affect the right to register to vote? What must be included in an application made by a declaration of local connection? How long are declarations of local connection valid for?
April 2026	Updated the following guidance on individuals from Hong Kong and their voting rights: Can a citizen from the British Overseas Territories register to vote?
July 2026	Absent voting guidance updated throughout to reflect the extension of online absent vote applications to Scottish Parliament and local government elections in Scotland, which comes into force on 3 November 2026. Guidance on transitional actions for online absent voting applications added.
November 2026	Absent voting guidance updated throughout to reflect the recently introduced provisions for: the extension of online absent voting applications to Scottish Parliament and council elections in Scotland the requirement for all absent vote applications to include a National Insurance number, or another approved form of identity verification a maximum three-year duration for new postal vote arrangements are now in force.

Running electoral registration - Scotland