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Local council elections and by-elections

Council elections

When you vote in local council elections, you are voting for a Councillor. Each local council is split into areas, called 'wards'. There are usually 3 or 4 Councillors elected in each ward.

You must be aged 16 or over to vote in local council elections.

Visit Aberdeen City CouncilVisit Aberdeenshire CouncilVisit Angus CouncilVisit Argyll and Bute CouncilVisit Clackmannanshire CouncilVisit Comhairle nan Eilean Siar (Western Isles Council)Visit Dumfries & Galloway CouncilVisit Dundee City CouncilVisit East Ayrshire CouncilVisit East Dunbartonshire CouncilVisit East Lothian CouncilVisit East Renfrewshire CouncilVisit Edinburgh CouncilVisit Falkirk CouncilVisit Fife CouncilVisit Glasgow City CouncilVisit The Highland CouncilVisit Inverclyde CouncilVisit Midlothian CouncilVisit Moray CouncilVisit North Ayrshire CouncilVisit North Lanarkshire CouncilVisit Orkney Islands CouncilVisit Perth & Kinross CouncilVisit Renfrewshire CouncilVisit Scottish Borders CouncilVisit Shetland CouncilVisit South Ayrshire CouncilVisit South Lanarkshire CouncilVisit Stirling CouncilVisit West Dunbartonshire CouncilVisit West Lothian Council

By-elections

A by-election takes place when an elected person:

  • dies
  • resigns
  • is bankrupt
  • sentenced to prison for more than 12 months

By-elections can happen for MSPs, MPs, MEPs and Councillors.

You can vote in the same way as you would for an election - at a polling station, by post or by proxy.

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