Edinburgh’s count this year will take place over two days at the Royal Highland Centre, Ingliston. It gets underway at 9am this morning.
Throughout the planning process, our elections team has sought guidance from public health experts, consulting extensively with the Director of Public Health, to make sure the event runs as safely and as smoothly as possible.
Today (Friday 7 May) the results for Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western will be announced, while results will be declared for Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Pentlands and Edinburgh Northern and Leith as well as the list/Region vote results tomorrow, Saturday 8 May.
Safety measures in place at the count
Everyone must wear a face covering when moving and circulating within the count venue, unless they are exempt.
Hand sanitising stations will be positioned throughout the venue.
Physical distancing will be in place.
Regular cleaning, including at touch points.
Contact tracing system with all people attending the count.
One-way systems in parts of the building.
Room capacity limits will be in place.
Enhanced ventilation at the venue.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies and the Lothian Region, said: The arrangements for the 2021 Scottish Parliamentary Election feel very different from previous elections.
“Throughout our preparations our elections team has sought guidance from public health experts and we’ve put in place extensive additional Covid-19 health and safety measures to help keep everyone safe, reduce the risk of spreading the virus and of course protect the integrity of the Election.
“We’re taking all the necessary steps to support the COVID-safe operation of the election count at the Highland Hall. In line with Public Health Scotland (PHS) guidance every effort has been made to make sure the centre is well ventilated, hand-sanitising stations are positioned throughout the venue, facemasks are worn whenever people move about the venue and that everyone observes two-metre physical distancing at all times.
“Count assistants will adhere to two-metre distancing but don’t have to wear a face covering when seated on the count floor.
“The safety of everyone working at the count is of utmost importance and measures will be enforced by our marshalls throughout the duration of the event for the health and safety of everyone present. I want to thank the team for their efforts so far and look forward to delivering a robust process in these unprecedented times.”
The results from the count will be tweeted live from @Edinburgh_cc as they are announced by the Returning Officer, with the hashtag #SPE21RESULT.
Highest ever numbers of registered voters and postal votes
With less than a week to go until the Scottish Parliament Election 2021, Edinburgh is gearing up to play its own part in the vote on 6 May.
Preparations are already well under way across the city’s 140 polling places and at the Royal Highland Centre, where the count will be held over two days (7 and 8 May).
Training is in progress for staff working on the day and the first postal votes are being processed.
More people than ever before are registered to vote in this election Edinburgh (401,321 people) and more than a quarter of these (102,138) have opted to vote by post – the largest number of postal votes of any Scottish local authority and the highest ever for the Capital.
And though registration for the electoral roll is now closed, citizens are still being urged to think carefully about their vote, to ensure they know when, where and how to vote on Thursday, 6 May and to return their postal vote in plenty of time.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies and the Lothian Region, said: “We are entering the final days of preparation for the Scottish Parliament Election and anticipation is clearly beginning to build across the city.
“Running an election in the Capital is no mean feat, and it’s thanks to a great deal of organisation and the hard work of our Elections Team and hundreds of count and polling staff to adapt to the additional restrictions due to the pandemic that things go to plan.
“As we draw nearer to the day, I hope the public are making their own plans for voting, and ensuring they know when, where and how to have their say, remembering to put one cross on each paper on the day.
“On polling day there will be additional hygiene and distancing measures at polling places to keep voters and staff safe. These include a fresh pencil for each voter, protective screens for polling staff, one-way systems in some venues, additional ventilation and limits on the number of voters in polling places at any time.
“This year we’ve got the largest electorate we’ve ever had for an election in Edinburgh (401,321 registered to vote) and more than a quarter of these (102,138 people) have opted for a postal vote – the highest number of postal votes we’ve ever had and more than any other Scottish local authority. If you’re voting this way please make sure you post it in plenty of time – they must be received by 10pm on Thursday 6 May.“
As we count down the final few days until voting day on 6 May, we’re counting up some of the key facts about Edinburgh’s vote:
401,321: the number of people registered to vote in the Scottish Parliament Election 2021 in Edinburgh. Of these 102,138 of these are postal voters. This is the highest electorate and number of postal votes ever for an election in Edinburgh and there are more people registered to vote by post in Edinburgh than in any other Scottish Council area.
There are six constituencies in Edinburgh – Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern & Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western. The Lothian Region also includes the three constituencies Almond Valley, Linlithgow and Midlothian North & Musselburgh.
There are 33 individual candidates standing across Edinburgh’s constituencies. 18 parties and one independent are contesting the seven seats available for the Lothian Region, with a total of 94 candidates involved.
140 buildings will be used as polling places on Thursday, 5 May, housing 352 polling stations. Each station will have two ballot boxes – one for the lilac Constituency paper and one for the peach-coloured Region paper.
This year, the Council will employ over 900 polling staff to assist the public to cast their vote – with one presiding officer and at least one polling assistant in each polling station.
The count will take place over two days (Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May), counting three constituencies on each day. Friday: Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western. Saturday: Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith and Edinburgh Pentlands. The results of the regional list vote will be declared on Saturday 8 May.
Over the two-day count, there will be another 300 staff per day tallying votes.
Amongst the equipment used in Edinburgh this May will be:
140 POLLING PLACES
250,000 pencils*
632 bottles of hand gel
140 bottles of anti-bac spray
140 blue rolls
140 boxes of face masks
140 boxes of gloves
280 visors
COUNT VENUE – HIGHLAND HALL, ROYAL HIGHLAND CENTRE
250 bottles of hand gel
36 bottles of anti-bac spray
36 blue rolls
27 cleaning stations
320 clear rubbish bags
3,744 Glacier mints/fruits per day (served in individual cups for each staff member)
660 post-it pads
1068 rubber thimbles
ADDITIONAL FACTS
8526m² – the area of the count venue – Highland Hall at the Royal Highland Centre. This is bigger than the size of a professional football pitch.
At the UK Parliamentary Election in December 2019 turnout in the Capital was high, at an average of 73% across Edinburgh’s five constituencies
Turnout for last Scottish Parliament election in 2016 was approx. 60%
Edinburgh accounts for around 8.7% of Scotland’s electorate – second highest in Scotland after Glasgow.
Three different types of polling booths are used in Edinburgh – aluminium, wood and cardboard.
Polls open at 7am and close at 10pm on 6 May.
*voters are encouraged to bring their own pencil, or can keep the single-use pencils provided at the polling places
The Scottish Parliament Notice of Election has been published.
Nominations open tomorrow (Tuesday 16 March) for candidates wanting to stand in the election.
Additional hygiene and distancing measures will be in place on polling day for voter and staff safety
If voters do not want to go to a polling place to vote they have the option of voting by post. Anyone can apply for a postal vote but this should be done as soon as possible.
Nominations open tomorrow (Tuesday 16 March) for candidates to stand in the forthcoming Scottish Parliament Election.
The Notice of Election was published today for Edinburgh Central, Edinburgh Eastern, Edinburgh Northern and Leith, Edinburgh Pentlands, Edinburgh Southern and Edinburgh Western Constituencies and the Lothian Region.
In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, which are available on the Council website, by 4pm on Wednesday 31 March.
The Scottish Parliament Election will take place on Thursday, 6 May 2021, when people living across Scotland will elect MSPs to represent them at Holyrood.
Andrew Kerr, Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council and Returning Officer for the Edinburgh constituencies and the Lothian Region, said:“The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period.
“The forthcoming election will allow the city’s residents to have their say about the government of Scotland, and I urge all citizens to make sure they’re registered in plenty of time, think now about the way they’ll vote and then to use that vote on 6 May.
“We are keen to continue the enthusiasm demonstrated by voters during the UK Parliamentary Election in 2019 and even our recent by-election in Craigentinny/Duddingston when we had the same range of safety measures in place. Anyone unsure about how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can find more information on the Council website.”
At the UK Parliamentary Election in December 2019 turnout in the capital was high, at an average of 73% across Edinburgh’s five constituencies.
People aged 16 and over and all those legally resident – including foreign citizens – can register to vote in this election.
Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote. For those who choose to vote in person, polling stations will be following all public health guidance on 6 May.
The deadline to register to vote is midnight Monday 19 April, to apply for a postal vote the deadline is 5pm on Tuesday 6 April, and for a proxy vote the deadline is 5pm on Tuesday 27 April.
Find out more about voter registration and the election, including the safety measures we’re taking to ensure polling stations are safe and covid secure, on the Council’s website.
