Scottish and Welsh Elections 2026
Scottish and Welsh elections 2026
On 7th May 2026, millions of voters in Scotland and Wales will head to the polls to vote for their new representatives in the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments.
These elections are an opportunity to make your voice heard and let your new elected represented what your priorities are for the new parliaments.
Whatever your priorities are this election, take a look at the commitments parties are making to LGBTQ+ equality.
What are the 2026 manifesto commitments?
Ahead of the election, each of the main political parties will publish their manifestos, which will tell us what they want to achieve should they be elected.
We have taken some time to highlight the major party’s pledges on LGBTQ+ equality to give you information to help you decide on your vote.
- About the Scottish Parliament Elections
The modern Scottish Parliament, also known as ‘Holyrood’, was established in 1999 following the 1997 Scottish devolution referendum and the introduction of the Scotland Act 1998.
Elected Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs) debate and pass laws on areas where powers have been devolved from the UK Parliament - these include most aspects of day-to-day life in Scotland, such as education, health, and some aspects of equality legislation.
The UK Parliament at Westminster can pass laws on reserved matters, which are generally those with a UK-wide or international impact - such as defence, foreign policy and immigration.
You can find out more about the different Devolved and Reserved Powers on The Scottish Parliament website.
- Scottish Parliament Elections 2026
There are 129 Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSPs). Everyone in Scotland is represented by 8 MSPs. One is a constituency MSP and the other 7 are regional MSPs.
At Scottish Parliament elections, every voter has two votes: one for their constituency and one for their region. This is known as the Additional Member System (AMS) – a form of proportional representation. You can find out more about this here: https://youtu.be/zXjh7kOsRmg?si=J7T78-ZciWVJHTUI
With your:
- constituency vote – you are choosing an individual candidate to represent you
- regional vote – you are choosing a party or independent candidate to represent you
Constituency votes are counted first. The candidate with the most votes in each constituency wins.
Regional votes are counted next, and regional MSPs are elected using a formula. This means that the number of seats a party gets in total across a region is about the same as the percentage of votes it receives.
Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies, each one represented by 1 MSP. Scotland is also divided into 8 regions (larger areas covering several constituencies). Each region is represented by 7 MSPs.
This results in 129 MSPs in total: 73 constituency MSPs and 56 regional MSPs.
After the election
After an election, every MSP is sworn in by taking an oath or affirmation. The parliament then appoints:
- the Presiding Officer and Deputy Presiding Officers
- the First Minister
The First Minister then selects ministers for the Scottish Government. Members of the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body are appointed, and parliamentary committees are established.
- About the Senedd Elections
The Senedd is where decisions are made about many aspects of life in Wales, like health, education, transport, and the environment.
From 2026 it will be made up of 96 Members, elected from all over Wales to speak up for their communities.
A Senedd election is your chance to choose who those Members are. A Senedd election is when voters in Wales decide who they want to represent their local area – their constituency - in the Welsh Parliament.
In 2026 each area will have six ‘seats’ in the Senedd, which means each constituency will elect six Members.
On the day of the election you will have one vote for the political party or independent candidate you want to represent your constituency in the Senedd.
The Senedd does not have the same level of devolved powers as Holyrood. For more information on the devolved powers in Wales please see the Senedd Website here.
- Senedd Elections 2026
The Senedd is changing from 2026, meaning this election will be quite different from previous ones. Here are the key changes:
- 96 Members: From the election in May 2026, the Senedd will have 96 Members instead of 60.
- New voting system: Everyone 16+ will now have one vote, choosing a political party or independent candidate.
- New constituencies: Wales will have 16 constituencies. Each constituency will elect six Members.
- New rules: Anyone standing for election must live in Wales.
For more information on these changes please see the Senedd page here.
- Register to Vote - Scottish Parliament elections
Scottish Parliament elections
To vote in Scottish Parliament elections, you must live in Scotland and be either:
- a British citizen
- an Irish citizen
- a foreign national of another country who is permitted to enter or stay in the UK
- registered to vote at an address in Scotland
You must be aged 16 on the day of the election.
The deadline for registering to vote in the 7 May 2026 Scottish Parliament elections is 11:59pm on 20 April 2026.
You can register to vote for all elections on the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- Register to Vote - Senedd elections
Senedd elections
To vote in the Senedd elections, you must:
- be 16 years of age or over on the day of the election (polling day)
- be registered to vote
- be a British, Irish or qualifying Commonwealth citizen, a citizen of the European Union, or a qualifying foreign citizen
- live in Wales, and
- be legally allowed to vote
The deadline for registering to vote in the 7 May 2026 Senedd elections is 11:59pm on 20 April 2026.
You can register to vote for all elections on the UK Government website: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
- How to vote
Once you have registered to vote, you can vote by the following means:
- in person at a polling station
- by post
- by getting someone else to vote for you (a proxy vote)
Polling stations will open at 7am and will close at 10pm on 7 May 2026.
To vote by post, you must apply by 5pm on 21 April 2026.
If you are voting by Proxy, you can only do this under certain circumstances. You must apply by 5pm on 28 April 2026 to vote by proxy.
For both the Scottish Parliament and Senedd elections, you do not need to bring Photo ID to the polling station to be able to vote.
You can find out more on the mygov.scot website: https://www.mygov.scot/vote-elections-scotland/how-to-vote
