Scottish Parliament elections

To vote in Scottish Parliament elections you must:

• be registered to vote in Scotland
• be 16 or over on the day of the election ('polling day')
• not be legally excluded from voting

You must also be one of the following:

• British citizen
• an Irish citizen
• a foreign national of another country living in Scotland who has permission to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need permission

MSPs

When you vote in Scottish Parliament elections, you are voting for a Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP).

There are 129 MSPs. Voters pick a local MSP in 73 areas, called 'constituencies'. Another 56 are elected as regional MSPs.

MSPs consider and propose new laws on issues controlled by the Scottish Parliament. These are called 'devolved matters'.