EA Bulletin: 372 Scotland

Ahead of the Scottish Parliament election, we wanted to update you on our supporting guidance and resources for ROs and those who want to stand for election.

Guidance for candidates and agents

We have now published our guidance for candidates and agents for the election in May 2026. 

The guidance has been published in our web-based HTML format and has been updated to reflect the new legislative provisions set out in the Scottish Elections (Representation and Reform) Act 2025 and the draft Scottish Parliament (Elections) (Miscellaneous Amendments) Order 2025. This includes the provisions relating to agents corresponding addresses which are expected to come into force on 1 October 2025.  We have worked closely with colleagues in the Scottish Government and the Electoral Management Board in the development of this guidance.  

To support candidate and agents to navigate the new style guidance, we have also created a guide to answer any initial queries.  

We have also published the updated nomination packs and election timetable for candidates to use.

We are developing a set of animated guides to support the completion of nomination papers. These resources can be used to complement your briefings and local guidance. We’ll be launching these later this year, and we will notify you through the Bulletin when they’re available.

Guidance for Returning Officers

We are currently finalising updates to our guidance for Returning Officers for this election and will publish this in November. Supporting resources will be published on a rolling basis with updates shared through the Bulletin as they become available.  

We will be following our usual process for ordering polling station handbooks. An order form link will be circulated in December, with orders finalised in January, for delivery in March 2026.

If you have any queries or need any further support, please contact the Scotland team at [email protected].  

On 8 September,  we launched a consultation on our new Code of Practice for Accredited Electoral Observers.  

The current Code of Practice, introduced in January 2019, is being updated to ensure it remains fit for purpose, and supports the effective accreditation of observers.  

The Accredited Electoral Observer Scheme is an essential element of our democracy. The ability to independently scrutinise legitimate democratic procedures and to provide accessibility for all voters must be supported and protected. It is equally important that the activities of observers do not bring into question the integrity of the electoral process.  

The new code will provide observers with agreed standards on what is acceptable throughout their entire accreditation and not only on polling day.  

Feedback from stakeholder consultation will help us improve the draft before the final version is laid in the Scottish and Westminster Parliaments and Welsh Senedd, as required by law.  

The Code will be supported by Commission guidance which will be regularly reviewed and updated as the scheme evolves. Accredited observers will also be expected to follow this supporting guidance. 
 

How to respond 

The consultation is open until 2 November 2025. You can respond online, email your views to [email protected],  or write to us at: Electoral Observers Officer, The Electoral Commission, The Boat, 49 Queen's Square, Belfast, BT1 3FG.  

Once we have considered the responses to this consultation, we expect to lay the revised Code in December. 

EROs will have recently received our annual canvass survey by email, from the Electoral Commission team in Scotland.  

As in previous years, we are looking for your feedback to inform how we might better engage and support EROs and their teams. Your responses help us build a picture of your administration framework, how the canvass is progressing, the challenges being faced, as well as highlighting new developments or practices.

As always, we appreciate your responses to our survey by Friday 26 September. If you have not received the survey or have any questions, please contact us at [email protected].