Don’t miss registration deadline for the Scottish Parliament election

On Thursday, May 6 residents in East Renfrewshire will go to the polls and the deadline for registering to vote is Monday, April 19 at midnight.

Lorraine McMillan, Returning Officer for East Renfrewshire, said: “To make sure you can take part in these elections you need to be on the electoral register. If you’re not registered at your current address by 19 April, you won’t be able to vote. If you were registered to vote in the last election and your details have not changed, you don’t need to take any action.”

Andy O’Neill, Head of the Electoral Commission in Scotland, added: “You can’t have your say in these important elections unless you are registered to vote. It’s quick and easy – it takes just five minutes online at www.gov.uk/registertovote.

"It doesn’t matter where you were born, if you are aged 16 or over and live in Scotland then you can now vote in the Scottish Parliament election. But only if you have registered to vote first.”

For those who choose to vote in person, polling places will be following all public health guidelines. Voters are encouraged to keep themselves and others safe by:

Wearing a face covering Bringing their own pen or pencil Cleaning their hands when entering and leaving the polling station Keeping a safe distance

Voters should not attend the polling station if they have symptoms of Covid-19, or if they have been asked to self-isolate. There will be provisions in place to apply for an emergency proxy vote if required due to health circumstances.

Residents can also choose to vote by post or by appointing someone you trust to vote on your behalf, known as a proxy vote.

For residents choosing to apply for a postal vote, the deadline for applications is Tuesday, April 6 at 5pm, and the deadline for applying for a proxy vote is Tuesday, April 27 at 5pm.

Forms can be downloaded from the Electoral Registration Office website and once completed should be returned by email to [email protected] (in PDF or TIFF format) or posted to The Electoral Registration Officer, Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board, The Robertson Centre, 16 Glasgow Road, Paisley, PA1 3QF.

For more information residents can go to eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/scottish-parliament-elections-2021.