Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2026

The Scottish Parliamentary Elections will be held on Thursday 7 May.

East Dunbartonshire residents will vote in the Strathkelvin and Bearsden Constituency or Clydebank and Milngavie Constituency.

To vote in this election you must be:

• Registered to vote – find out how to register to vote
• Be 16 or over on the day of the election.

Please be aware Voter ID is not needed to vote in the Scottish Parliamentary Elections.

You will receive two ballot papers at the polling place – one is for your constituency MSP and the other is for the regional MSP. You must place one X on each ballot

Boundaries Scotland has carried out a review of constituencies, and some will now look different. View the new boundaries on the boundaries Scotland website.

Key dates including important dates for candidates are below.

For the Strathkelvin and Bearsden Constituency

1. An election is to be held for a Constituency Member to serve in the Scottish Parliament for the Strathkelvin and Bearsden constituency.
2. Nomination papers can be obtained from the office of the Constituency Returning Officer, East Dunbartonshire Council, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, G66 1TJ, during the times stated below.
3. Nomination papers must be delivered to the Constituency Returning Officer at East Dunbartonshire Council, 12 Strathkelvin Place, Kirkintilloch, G66 1TJ on any day after the date of this notice, Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, but no later than 4pm on Wednesday 1 April 2026.
4. If the election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
5. Applications to register to vote must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Monday 20 April 2026. Applications to register to vote can be made online.
6. The £500 deposit can be paid by legal tender or by means of a banker’s draft from a drawer which carries on business as a banker in the United Kingdom. The Council website allows on-line payment by card.
7. Applications, amendments or cancellation of postal votes must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer at the address below by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.
8. Applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer at the address below by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026.
9. Applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election can be made after the 28 April deadline on the grounds of:
   1. Disability suffered after that deadline (or, for applicants who suffered a disability before the deadline, their disability meant that they could not reasonably have made an application in time)
   2. The need to accompany an individual to attend medical care or treatment arising after that deadline
   3. Being detained in a hospital under the civil sections of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 arising after that deadline
   4. Work/service reasons arising after that deadline
   5. Scottish prisoners serving a sentence of 12 months or less arising after that deadline
   6. Circumstances that mean the appointed proxy cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person at the polling station arising after that deadline.

Applications must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer at the address below by 5pm on Thursday 7 May 2026. 

Contact details of Electoral Registration Officer in the constituency:

• Electoral Registration Officer: Dunbartonshire and Argyll & Bute Electoral Registration Officer
• Council area covered by the Electoral Registration Officer: East Dunbartonshire Council
• Address: 235 Dumbarton Road, Clydebank, G81 4XJ
• Contact details: ero-edc@dab-vjb.gov.uk, 0141 562 1200

Dated: 16 March 2026

Ann Davie - Constituency Returning Officer