Wednesday April 29th 2026
Midlothian polling station
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Stuart Sommerville
With the final set of postal votes dispatched and the Scottish Parliament Election less than two weeks away, postal voters are encouraged to ensure they return their completed postal vote.
Voters are reminded to carefully follow the instructions included in the voting pack and return the postal vote as soon as possible, allowing sufficient time for mail to be delivered.
Follow the instructions on the ballot paper. Fold and place only the ballot papers into envelope A.
Follow the instructions on the coloured strip. Place Envelope A with the Postal Voting Statement into Envelope B.
Make sure that the return address (not your own address) is visible through the window on Envelope B.
Then post your vote.
The pack will include two separate ballot papers – one for the constituency and one for the regional list.
Indicate a decision by marking a cross (X) in the box opposite the name of one candidate on each ballot paper.
When voting by post, voters also need to fill in a form accompanying their two ballot papers, giving their signature and date of birth.
As a security measure, these are matched against the signature and date of birth the voter provided when they applied to vote by post.
If you make a mistake on the ballot paper you need to have put your date of birth and signature on the postal vote statement. It doesn’t matter if you have scored bits out or made corrections on your ballot papers, so long as your intention is clear, your vote will count.
If you prefer you can apply for a replacement postal ballot pack, you need to apply by 5pm on 7 May 2026 – Polling Day.
All postal votes must have been received by 10pm on polling day (Thursday 7 May 2026). Replacements for lost or spoiled postal vote packs can be obtained until polling closes if required.
Further information and guidance is available via the West Lothian Council website: https://www.westlothian.gov.uk/spelection2026
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