Scottish Parliamentary Elections 2026

On the 7th of May 2026, Scotland goes to the polls for the Scottish parliamentary elections. The day before, Leader of the Scottish National Party (SNP) and First Minister of Scotland John Swinney visits Hamilton in South Lanarkshire, the constituency of SNP candidate Alex Kerr, to kick off the final day of campaigning by meeting potential voters and owners of local businesses. Later that afternoon, he travels to Edinburgh where he addresses candidates and activists who campaigned across Scotland during the six-week parliamentary election campaign. In Scotland, counting of the votes takes place the day after the election, so on the morning of the 8th of May, candidates, volunteers, and guests gather at the Glasgow International Arena for the count process in the Glasgow region. Across Lanarkshire, candidates, volunteers, and guests gather at the Ravenscraig Regional Sports Facility for the Scottish Parliamentary vote count process in the region of North Lanarkshire. After a decisive victory, on the 9th of May, John Swinney gathers the 58 newly-elected MSPs to Calton Hill in Edinburgh for a photo call with Edinburgh's historic skyline behind them. Two weeks before, on the 25th of April, the All Under One Banner group held a pre-election march through Glasgow to support the issue of Scottish independence.