Types of election

There are several different types of elections that you may be eligible to vote in:

Local Government elections

Councils provide local services and facilities. Your Councillors represent you at a local level.

Elections are held to elect Councillors to 32 unitary local authorities in Scotland. The last Local Government Elections were held in 2022. Perth & Kinross Council has 41 Councillors who cover 12 electoral wards. Since 3 May 2007, Councillors have been elected through the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system which allows voters to express a preference for more than one candidate.

Scottish Parliamentary elections

The Scottish Parliament represents the people of Scotland and has the power to make decisions and pass laws. There are currently 129 elected members in the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, of which 73 are constituency members and 56 are list members.

The Scottish Parliamentary Elections use the Additional Member System (AMS) where each voter has two votes. One of these elects a constituency MSP using the First Past the Post System, and the other elects regional representatives from a list of political parties. The elections take place every 5 years and, depending on where you live in Perth and Kinross you can vote to return a constituency MSP for either the Perthshire North or the Perthshire South and Kinross-shire constituency, as well as a list MSP for the Mid Scotland and Fife Region. The last Scottish Parliamentary election took place in May 2021.

UK Parliamentary elections

The UK Parliament represents the people of the United Kingdom and has the power to make decisions and pass laws.

Members of Parliament (MPs) are elected using a First Past the Post System (FPTP). The elections normally take place every 5 years. The next UK Parliamentary General Election will be held on 4 July 2024.   

Depending on where you live in Perth and Kinross, you can vote to return an MP for the Perth and Kinross-shire, Angus and Perthshire Glens, or Stirling and Strathallan constituencies.

By-Elections

A By-Election occurs due to a vacancy caused by the death or resignation of an elected representative. It can take place during any of the standard election cycles, and is subject to the timetable for normal elections.