What it is
Scottish Parliamentary elections take place at least every 5 years.
When you vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election, you’re voting for Members of the Scottish Parliament (MSP).
There are 129 elected MSPs in total.
Scotland is divided into 8 electoral regions for a Scottish Parliamentary election. A region is a larger area which covers several constituencies.
You are represented by 8 MSPs:
- 1 MSP who represents your local area – known as a constituency MSP
- 7 MSPs who represent the larger area that includes your constituency – known as regional MSPs.
MSPs consider and propose new laws on issues that the Scottish Parliament controls.
Find out more about Scotland's powers (Scottish Parliament).
Who can vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election
To vote in a Scottish Parliamentary election, you must:
- be registered to vote
- be aged 16 or older on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
- be registered at an address in the area you want to vote in
You must also you must be one of the following:
- a British citizen
- an Irish citizen
- a foreign national of another country who is permitted to enter or stay in the UK.
How MSPs are elected
In Scotland, MSPs are elected using the additional member system (ASM).
ASM is a form of proportional representation. This is an electoral system where parties gain seats in proportion to the number of votes cast for each party.
This means you have 2 votes:
- one for a constituency MSP
- one for a regional MSP
Constituency MSPs
You can vote for an MSP to represent your local area – called a constituency.
There are 3 Scottish Parliamentary constituencies within Renfrewshire:
- Paisley
- Renfrewshire North and Cardonald
- Renfrewshire West and Levern Valley.
Find your constituency (Boundaries Scotland).
Regional MSPs
You can vote for a Scottish party or independent candidate to represent your region.
Renfrewshire is part of the West of Scotland region.
When the next Scottish Parliamentary election will take place
The next Scottish Parliamentary election will take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
Find out more about the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.
Previous Scottish Parliamentary election results
The most recent Scottish Parliamentary election took place on 6 May 2021.
See the results of the Scottish Parliamentary election 2021.