Notice of Election - Scottish Parliament Election for the Highlands and Islands Region

1.     An election is to be held for 7 members to serve in the Scottish Parliament for the Highlands and Islands Region.

2.     Nomination papers can be obtained from the office of the Regional Returning Officer, Committee Room 3, The Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX during the times stated below or can be downloaded from the Council’s website.

3.     Nomination papers must be delivered to the Regional Returning Officer at Committee Room 3, The Highland Council Headquarters, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness, IV3 5NX, between the hours of 10am and 4pm on any working day after the date of this notice but no later than 4pm on Wednesday 1 April 2026.

4.     If the election is contested the poll will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.

5.     Applications to register to vote must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer by 12 midnight on Monday 20 April 2026. Applications can be made online: https://www.gov.uk/register-to-vote.

6.     The £500 deposit can be paid by legal tender or by means of a banker’s draft from a drawer which carries on business as a banker in the United Kingdom or with the Returning Officer’s consent, in any other manner including by debit or credit card online or by BACS. 

7.     Applications, amendments or cancellations of postal votes must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer at the address below by 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.

8.     Applications to vote by proxy at this election must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer at the address below by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April 2026.

9.     Applications to vote by emergency proxy at this election can be made after the 28 April deadline on the grounds of:

1. disability suffered after that deadline (or, for applicants who suffered a disability before the deadline, their disability meant that they could not reasonably have made an application in time)
2. the need to accompany an individual to attend medical care or treatment arising after that deadline
3. being detained in a hospital under the civil sections of the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) (Scotland) Act 2003 arising after that deadline
4. work/service reasons arising after that deadline,
5. Scottish prisoners serving a sentence of 12 months or less arising after that deadline
6. circumstances that mean the appointed proxy cannot reasonably be expected to vote in person at the polling station arising after that deadline

Applications must reach the relevant Electoral Registration Officer at the address below by 5pm on Thursday 7 May 2026.

Dated: Monday 16 March 2026     Derek Brown, The Regional Returning Officer