Increase in Scottish Electorate

The number of people registered to vote in elections in Scotland continues to rise, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland. 

The registered electorates for local councils, the Scottish Parliament, the UK Parliament and the European Parliament have all seen increases.

With the exception of 2009, Scottish electorates have risen year on year since 2003, with an additional peak of over 4.28 million for the Independence Referendum, which also included 16 and 17 year old voters.

On 2 March, 2015:

• 4.13 million people were registered to vote in the local government and Scottish Parliament elections – an increase of 11,432 (0.3 per cent) compared to March 10, 2014, and is at the highest level ever recorded.
• 4.04 million people were registered to vote in UK Parliament elections – an increase of 8,207 (0.2 per cent);
• The number of EU citizens registered to vote in local government and Scottish Parliament elections dropped by 5,434 to 88,688 (5.8 per cent). This is likely to underestimate the total number of EU citizens resident in Scotland, since some may not register to vote. 

The deadline for registration to vote in the UK General Election is 20 April 2015.

The full publication Electoral Statistics – Scotland 2nd March 2015 is available on this website.