IFES
 

May 7, 2026 Confirmed

Scotland (part of the United Kingdom)
Scotland
Election for Pàrlamaid na h-Alba (Scottish Parliament)

General Information

At Stake in this Election:  

  • All 129 seats in the Scottish Parliament 

 

Government Structure: 

  • Assembly: unicameral Parliament with 129 seats. 

 

Electoral System:  

  • The King is a hereditary monarch. 

  • The First Minister is appointed by Parliament 

  • 73 of the 129 members of Parliament are elected through plurality vote in single member constituencies. The remaining 56 members are elected through proportional representation in 8 multi-member constituencies. All members are elected to a five-year term. 

 

Last Election: 

In the last election in 2021, The Scottish National Party won a plurality of seats with 64. Voter turnout was 63%. 

 

Information for Voters: 

Election 2026 (in English) 

 

Key Deadlines: 

  • Candidate filing deadline: 1 April 2026 

  • Voter registration deadline: 20 April 2026 

 

Main Parties in this Election: 

  • Scottish National Party (SNP) 

    • Seats won in the last election: 64 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 31 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Labour Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 22 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Green Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 8 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Liberal Democrats 

    • Seats won in the last election: 4 seats out of 129 

  • Abolish The Scottish Parliament 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Advance UK 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Alliance For Democracy and Freedom 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Alliance To Liberate Scotland 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Animal Welfare Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • British Unionist Party and Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Communist Party of Britain 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Edinburgh & East Lothian People 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Equality Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Freedom Alliance 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Independence For Scotland Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Independent Green Voice 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Reform UK 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Alliance for Democracy and Freedom 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Christian Party “Proclaiming Christ’s Lordship” 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Common Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Family Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Heritage Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Libertarian Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Rural Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Socialist Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Scottish Workers Party of Britain 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • Socialist Labour Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • The Scottish Liberal Party 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

  • UK Independence Party (UKIP) 

    • Seats won in the last election: 0 seats out of 129 

 

Country Context: 

  • V-Dem Electoral Democracy Index Score: Not available. 

  • V-Dem Regimes of the World Classification: Not available. 

  • Human Development Index (HDI) Position: Not available. 

 

Gender Data: 

  • CEDAW Status: Bound by the United Kingdom which signed 22 Jul 1981 and ratified 07 Apr 1986 

  • Gender Quota:  No 

  • Female Candidates in this election: Yes 

  • Social Institutions and Gender Index (SIGI) Categorization: Not available. 

 

Disability Data: 

  • CRPD Status: Bound by the United Kingdom which signed 30 Mar 2007 and ratified 08 Jun 2009 

  • Projected population with a disability: 887,504 (2024 est.) 

Election Modified: Apr 30, 2026

Most Recent Elections in Scotland (part of the United Kingdom)

With Participation Rates