Increase in Scottish Electorate

The number of people registered to vote in elections in Scotland was published today by the General Register Office for Scotland.

Announcing the number of people on the electoral roll on 1 December 2010, the Registrar General for Scotland, Duncan Macniven, said:

“The number of people registered to vote in Scotland has increased. Between 2009 and 2010, the electorate for elections to local councils, the Scottish Parliament, UK Parliament and European Parliament has risen by around 1.5 per cent.”

On December 1, 2010:

3.99 million people were registered to vote in the local government and Scottish Parliament elections – an increase of 65,942 (1.7 per cent) compared to December 1, 2009;

3.93 million people were registered to vote in United Kingdom (UK) Parliament elections – an increase of 59,272 (1.5 per cent);

3.93 million people were registered to vote in elections to the European Parliament, an increase of 57,209 (1.5 per cent).

The electorate for local government and Scottish Parliament elections includes European Union (EU) citizens. Their numbers have increased by 7,664 (just over 15 per cent) since 2009 – but this is likely to underestimate the total number of EU citizens resident in Scotland, since many may not register.

The statistics show the number of people in the new constituencies for the forthcoming Scottish Parliamentary election. The boundaries of Westminster constituencies may change before the next general election as a result of the Parliamentary Voting Systems and Constituencies Act 2010.

The full publication Electoral Statistics - Scotland 1st December 2010 is available on this website.