Regional Vote
Each voter has two votes under the Additional Member System (AMS).
The regional vote can be used to elect MSPs from party lists or individual candidates for eight regions around Scotland.
Each of the eight regions is made up of a group of constituencies.
Each region returns seven MSPs, making a total of 56.
The constituency vote is used to elect 73 constituency MSPs to bring the total number of MSPs in the Parliament to 129.
The regional vote can be cast by marking your ballot with an X for the party or individual candidate standing in the regional list.
The number of regional seats each party or individual candidate has won is calculated using the modified d'Hondt method.
The constituency vote can be cast by marking your ballot with an X for any candidate in your consitutency. The candidate winning the largest number of votes in a constituency wins the seat on a first-past-the-post basis.
Key Points
- Each voter has two votes under the Additional Member System (AMS)
- Each of the eight regions is made up of a group of constituencies
- The constituency vote is used to elect 73 constituency MSPs to bring the total number of MSPs in the Parliament to 129
Not sure what happens when you go to vote?
Take a look at our short animated movie so you know exactly what to expect when you go to vote on 3rd May.