Toggle menu

Get ready to vote

The Scottish Elections (Reduction of Voting Age) Act means that the rules on the voting age in Scotland have now changed to enable 16 and 17 year olds to take part in elections to the Scottish Parliament and at local elections in Scotland.

 

You can now register to vote if you are aged 15 years and above.  If you are 15 you're details will not be added to the register until you become eligible to vote, usually on your sixteenth birthday.

  • If you are 15 years old you will not have to provide a national insurance number when you complete an application to register.  You're details will not appear on the open register.
  • If you are aged 16 and over your details will be added to the open register unless you ask for them to be removed when you complete your application or you can contact us to have them removed.
  • If you are 16 or 17, you meet the residency and nationality criteria and you are not subject to any legal incapacity, then you can vote in Scottish Parliamentary Elections, local government elections and any other poll where the local government franchise in Scotland applies.
  • When you turn 18 you will qualify to vote in UK Parliamentary and European Parliamentary elections.

Link can be found in the download section.

Share this page

Facebook icon Twitter icon email icon

Print

print icon