Young people given chance to be leaders in sport
March 15, 2021First Renfrewshire Leisure facilities reopen as Covid-19 rules ease
March 16, 2021Eligible voters in Renfrewshire are being urged to ensure they are registered to cast their vote at the Scottish Parliament election on 6 May.
Anyone who has never voted before or moved house since they last voted needs to register by 19 April 2021.
This includes 16- and 17-year olds who are eligible to vote in the upcoming election and foreign nationals living in Scotland who will be voting for the first time.
Those wishing to vote by post need to register to vote using this method by 5pm on 6 April, while anyone wishing to vote by proxy must register by 5pm on 27 April.
Sandra Black, Returning Officer for Renfrewshire, said: “It’s important that anyone wishing to vote in the Scottish Parliament election in May is registered to vote and I would encourage to everyone to double check their poll card when they receive it in the coming weeks.
“If you’ve never registered before or have moved house recently, you need to register by 19 April to ensure you can have your say.
“With the current pandemic, you may wish to vote via post for this election but I can assure you that all our polling stations will be safe and have the required health and safety measures in place to allow you to cast your vote in-person.
“If you do wish to vote by post though, the deadline for applications is 5pm on 6 April.”
Voting will take place on Thursday 6 May between 7am and 10pm, with the count taking place over two days at Braehead Arena on Friday 7 and Saturday 8 May.
Three constituencies will be contested in Renfrewshire, including Paisley, Renfrewshire South and Renfrewshire North and West, and the results of the West Scotland Region will also be counted in Renfrewshire with 7 list MSPs being elected.
Kate Crawford, Electoral Registration Officer for the Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board, is urging people to plan today so they can vote in May.
She said: “People may feel they wish to change the way they vote this time around so deciding and applying for this now will make that easier to achieve on polling day.
“You must be 16 years old on or before the 6th of May to vote in this election and it is also the first time foreign nationals living in Scotland can vote so make sure you register as early as possible to ensure you can have your say.”
For more information, visit www.renfrewshire.gov.uk/SPElection2021.
