People across Scotland will vote for their next Members of the Scottish Parliament, or MSPs, on Thursday, May 7th, 2026. This page will walk you through how to maximise your vote and help return a record number of Green MSPs.
Planning your vote
First, make sure you’re eligible. Anyone aged 16 or over and living in Scotland can vote in Scottish Parliament elections if they are registered to vote, and are a British or Irish citizen, or a citizen of another country with permission to stay in the UK.
You must also make sure you are registered by 11:59pm on April 20th, 2026. You can register to vote today. You’ll be asked for your name, date of birth, nationality, National Insurance number, and postcode.
Once you’ve done that, you’re ready to vote.
How can I vote?
There are three ways to cast your vote:
In person
Go to your polling station on polling day, Thursday 7 May.
By post
If you will not be able to vote in person,you can apply for a postal vote. Your council will send you a postal voting pack so you can fill in your ballot papers at home and return them by post. Your Electoral Registration Office must receive your application before 5pm on Tuesday, April 21st, 2026.
By proxy
If you cannot go to the polling station yourself, you can apply for a proxy vote and ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf. The deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on April 28th, 2026.
If you plan to vote in person, you should receive a poll card at the address where you are registered. You do not need to bring this card with you in order to vote.
How do I maximise my Green vote?
In Scotland, the electoral system used for the Scottish Parliament is called the Additional Member System. In this election, you get two different coloured ballot papers.
Your purple ballot is for a constituency MSP. To win a constituency, a candidate must receive the most votes (a first-past-the-post system).
The list of constituencies Scottish Greens are standing in is available here.
Your peach ballot paper is for the regional list. Every region elects seven regional MSPs by proportional representation, making the overall result more fair.
The Scottish Greens are standing in every region, so on your peach ballot paper, put an X next to the Scottish Greens. If many parties are standing in your region you may have to unfold your ballot to find the Scottish Greens.
Remember: look for the Scottish Greens logo before you vote.
When can I vote?
Polling stations across Scotland are open from 7am to 10pm on polling day. If you are voting by post, your ballot pack should arrive before polling day. If it has not arrived, contact your local electoral office straight away to ask about your options. Replacement postal ballot packs can be issued in some circumstances.