Registration

How to apply

Scottish Parliamentary and local government (council) elections

To apply for a proxy vote, download and fill in the paper form (GOV.UK).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

UK Parliamentary elections

Online   

Apply for a proxy vote online (GOV.UK).

Paper form

If you cannot apply online, you can download and fill in the paper form (GOV.UK).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

After you’ve applied

The Electoral Registration Office will confirm to you and your proxy that your proxy arrangement is in place.

We'll send a proxy poll card to the person you’ve chosen with details of how to vote.

Your proxy will have to go to your allocated polling station to cast your vote on polling day. 

They cannot cast their own vote at your allocated polling station, unless you both have the same polling station. They must cast their own vote at their allocated polling station.

If you appoint a proxy, you can still vote at your polling station as long as your proxy has not already voted on your behalf or arranged a postal vote.

Postal proxy vote

If your proxy wishes to vote by post, they’ll need to request a postal proxy application form.

They must apply for a postal proxy vote by 5pm at least 11 working days before an election polling day.

They’ll need to contact the Electoral Registration Office to request a further application form by: 

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

For the Scottish Parliamentary Election 2026

Your proxy must apply for a postal proxy before 5pm on 21 April 2026.
 

Change your proxy

If you want to change the person who’ll cast your proxy vote for an election, you'll need to apply for a new proxy vote before 5pm at least 6 working days before an election polling day.

Apply for an emergency proxy vote

If the proxy vote deadline has passed, you may be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote if:

• you cannot vote in person because of a medical emergency or disability
• you're not able to vote in person because of work or military service
• you’re accompanying someone who is receiving medical treatment
• you’re detained in prison
• if your existing proxy cannot attend the polling station
• your postal vote won’t arrive in time
• the photo ID you were planning on using to vote has been lost, stolen, damaged or destroyed (UK Parliamentary elections only)
• you've not received a new or replacement photo ID you've ordered (UK Parliamentary elections only).

For Scottish Parliament election 2026

A medical emergency must have happened after 5pm on 28 April 2026, or you were unable to apply if the emergency took place before this date.

Emergency proxy applications can be made up to 5pm on polling day.

You can contact the Electoral Registration Office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk.

More information

For any questions, contact the Electoral Registration Office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk.

If you are not able to get to your allocated polling station on the day of an election (‘polling day’), you can ask someone you trust to cast your vote on your behalf. 

This is called a proxy vote. The person voting on your behalf is called your proxy.

You need to apply for a proxy vote in advance of polling day. 

After you’ve confirmed your proxy, you’ll need to tell them which candidate or party you want to vote for.

The person will go to your polling station to cast your vote on polling day. 

They can also apply to vote on your behalf by post. This is called a postal proxy.

You can only apply for a proxy vote under certain circumstances, such as:   

• if you’re away on holiday on polling day
• if you’re registered as an overseas voter
• if you have a disability
• if you’re not able to vote in person because of work or military service
• if you’re registered as an overseas voter
• if you’re a prisoner convicted for under 12 months.

To apply for a proxy vote, both you and your proxy must be registered to vote.

You must apply by 5pm at least 6 working days before an election polling day.

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

The deadline to apply for a proxy vote for the Scottish Parliament election 2026 is 5pm on Monday 28 April 2026.

Find out more about the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.

You must ask for your trusted person’s permission before you apply for a proxy vote.

To apply for a proxy vote, you’ll need:

• your National Insurance number or another form of identification, such as a birth certificate
• your proxy’s address
• contact details for your proxy.

How to cancel your postal vote

If you want to cancel your postal vote, contact your local electoral registration office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

You must do this by 5pm at least 11 working days before the election polling day.   

If you’ve already sent your postal vote, you will not be able to cancel it for that election.

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

If you want to cancel your postal vote for the Scottish Parliamentary Election 2026, you must do this by 5pm on 21 April 2026.

Change your postal vote to a proxy vote

If you have a postal vote and want to change it to a proxy vote, you must cancel your postal vote by 5pm at least 11 working days before polling day.

You can then submit a proxy vote application by 5pm at least 6 working days before polling day.   

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

If you want to change your postal vote to a proxy vote for the Scottish Parliamentary Election 2026, you must cancel your proxy vote by 5pm on 21 April 2026.

You must then submit a proxy vote application before 5pm on 28 April 2026.

More information

For any questions, contact the Electoral Registration Office by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk

If you’re not able to get to your allocated polling station on the day of an election (‘polling day’), you can vote by post. 

You need to apply for a postal vote in advance of polling day.

You must be registered to vote to apply for a postal vote.

You can apply for a postal vote for reasons including:

• you’re away on holiday on polling day
• you’re not able to vote in person because of work
• it would be more convenient for you than going to your polling station
• you have been chosen as a proxy voter for someone else and you want to vote by post.

You must apply by 5pm at least 11 working days before an election polling day. 

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

The deadline to apply for a postal vote for the Scottish Parliament election 2026 is 5pm on Tuesday 21 April 2026.

If you are not already registered to vote by post, and you wish to do so, you will need to apply for a postal vote.

Find out more about the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.

To apply for a postal vote, you’ll need to provide:

• your full name
• the address at which you are registered to vote
• your National Insurance number or another form of identification, such as a passport (for UK Parliamentary elections only)
• the date of the election or the specific time period you want to make a postal vote.
• the address you wish your ballot pack to be issued to, if this is different from your registered address
• the reason for requesting the ballot paper to go to an alternative address.

For UK Parliamentary elections, you’ll also need to upload a photo of your handwritten signature in black ink on plain white paper.

To apply for a postal vote, download and fill in the paper form (Electoral Commission)

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

UK Parliamentary elections

Online

Apply for a postal vote online (GOV.UK)   

Paper form

If you cannot apply online, you can download and fill in the paper form (Electoral Commission).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board
Renfrewshire House
Cotton Street
Paisley
PA1 1BF

Your local Electoral Registration Office will confirm by post or email when your postal vote is in place.

We'll send you a postal vote ballot pack before the election polling day with information on how and when to post your vote.

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

If you’ve applied for a postal vote for the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026, you’ll receive your postal vote ballot pack by post.  

Make sure you have posted your vote in time to arrive by Thursday 7 May 2026.

If you have not posted it in time, you can hand your completed postal vote in to any polling station in your constituency.

In Scotland, you can vote in local government (council) and Scottish Parliamentary elections if you’re aged 16 or older on the day of an election (‘polling day’).  

For UK general elections and other UK Parliamentary elections, you must be aged 18 or older to vote.  

You can register up to 2 years before you reach voting age.  

You can register to vote if you’re:  

• aged 14 or older for local government and Scottish Parliamentary elections, or
• aged 16 or older for UK Parliamentary elections.

Local government (council) and Scottish Parliamentary elections

To vote in council and Scottish Parliamentary elections, you must live in Scotland and be either:

• a British citizen  
• an Irish citizen  
• a foreign national of another country who is permitted to enter or stay in the UK.

UK Parliamentary elections

To vote in UK Parliamentary elections, you must live in the UK and be either:

• a British citizen
• an Irish citizen
• a qualifying Commonwealth citizen

You can also live abroad and be registered as an overseas voter.

Find more information on qualifying Commonwealth citizens and foreign nationals (Electoral Commission).

You need to register if you want to vote in an upcoming election and have:

• never registered to vote before
• just become old enough to register.

You’ll only need to register once – not for every election. 

You’ll need to register to vote again if you have moved house or changed your address.

If you change your name or your nationality, you should contact your Electoral Registration Office to change your existing registration by:

• phone 0300 300 0150
• email ero@renfrewshire-vjb.gov.uk
   

Scottish Parliamentary election 2026

You must register to vote by Monday 20 April 2026 to vote in the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.

Find out more about the Scottish Parliamentary election 2026.

You’ll need to provide your:

• full name
• nationality
• National Insurance number
• address
• date of birth.

Register to vote (GOV.UK)

Post

If you cannot register online, you can download and fill in a paper form (GOV.UK).

Post the form to your Electoral Registration Office at:

Electoral Registration Officer 
Renfrewshire Valuation Joint Board 
Renfrewshire House 
Cotton Street 
Paisley 
PA1 1BF

British Sign Language (BSL) version

You can also watch a British Sign Language (BSL) video on how to register to vote from the Electoral Commission (Vimeo).

You’ll receive a notification from GOV.UK to say your application has been received.

Your Electoral Registration Office will contact you by letter or email to tell you if your registration has been confirmed or failed.

Once your registration is confirmed, your name and address will added to the electoral roll.

You can then:

• vote in person
• apply for a postal vote
• apply for a proxy vote.

You can find out more about registering to vote (GOV.UK). 

All private landlords, with some limited exceptions, have to apply for registration in the register of landlords.

The aim of landlord registration is to make sure that all private landlords in Scotland are 'fit and proper' people to be letting residential property.

The requirement to register helps councils to remove disreputable landlords from the market and protect tenants and the wider community from the impact of antisocial behaviour and mismanaged property.

Most private landlords need to register. There are a few exceptions, including:

• live-in landlords – where a landlord lives in the same property as their tenant(s)
• letting to a close family member – where a landlord lets a property to their mother,
  father, sister, brother, daughter, or son
• short-term holiday lets.

If you're not sure if you need to register or not, ask by emailing us at privatelandlordteam@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

See a list of what information you'll need to provide (Scottish Landlord Register website).

Register online (Scottish Landlord Register website)

If you do not want to apply online, you can download and fill in the application form:

Once you've filled in the form, email it to us at privatelandlordteam@renfrewshire.gov.uk.

How long it takes to get your registration confirmed

We usually take about 18 weeks to process applications.

Because we are currently handling a high number of applications, these times are an estimate and your application may take longer.

Renew every 3 years

You must renew your registration every 3 years if you wish to continue to act as a landlord. Your registration lasts 3 years from its approval date.

If you do not renew your registration before it expires, you'll be charged a late fee of £170.

You can renew up to 3 months in advance of your current registration expiring.

The Scottish Government will send you a reminder by email, if you've provided an email address.

If you do not renew following the 2 reminders, you'll automatically incur a late payment fee of £170 for your registration.

Tell us if you stop being a landlord

If you're no longer acting as a landlord, you must contact us at privatelandlordteam@renfrewshire.gov.uk so that our records are kept up to date.

The principal registration fee is £85.

The late registration fee is £170.

There is also a fee of £20 for each property you're registering.

If you're making 2 or more applications with different local authorities, the fee is £42.50 per local authority.

Every year the Provost of Renfrewshire recognises the unsung heroes within our communities at the Provost’s Community Awards. 

The winners are chosen for their outstanding commitment to making Renfrewshire a better place to work and live.

You can nominate a person or a group for an award if you feel they deserve recognition for their contribution to life and the community in Renfrewshire. 

They can be a friend, relative, colleague or someone you know in your community. 

You can nominate someone again even if they've been nominated in a previous year.

You can nominate a person or group who fits in to one or more of these categories.

Arts and culture

Open to: individuals or groups

This category is open to individuals or groups who have demonstrated creativity through the common elements of arts and culture, such as music, art, dance, theatre, and literature. Their activity should be for the benefit of the community and not to generate a profit.

This award is sponsored by Renfrewshire Council.

Community group

Open to: groups

This award recognises groups  that have improved their community, like:

• supporting others to make their lives better
• involvement in local environmental project
• helping establish a community event
• contributing to improving community safety.

This award is sponsored by City Gate Construction (Scotland) Ltd.

Community volunteer

Open to: individuals

This award recognises an individual's dedication and selfless contributions to the people and organisations in their community.

This award is sponsored by Glasgow Airport Ltd.

Employee of the year

Open to: individuals

Employers or colleagues can nominate employees who have gone above and beyond in their role, such as supporting their colleagues, or giving exceptional customer service which has made a real difference.

This award is sponsored by Unison Renfrewshire.

Sport Award

Open to: individuals or groups

This award recognises individuals or groups who have 

• achieved success in competition as a competitor or a coach
• used sport and exercise as a tool for health and wellbeing.

This award is sponsored by Acre Industrial Services.

When you nominate someone online, you'll need to tell us their:

• name
• age, if they are under 18
• address
• phone number
• email address
• workplace, centre or unit they go to.

Give us details on what they have done to deserve an award and what makes them special.

We'll also need to know your:

• name
• address
• phone number (including day and evening numbers, if they are different)
• email address
• relationship to the person you're nominating (such as friend, relative, colleague).

 Make a nomination

Nominations close at midnight on Friday 2 January 2026.

If you need help filling in this form, phone the Provost's Office on 0141 487 1108.

Nominations for the Provost's Community Awards 2026 closed on Friday 2 January 2026.

How we make a decision

Our judging panel is made up the Provost, the award sponsors, and several councillors from across the political parties.

They look at all the nominations and make a decision once the closing date for nominations has passed.

If you or your nominated person wins

We’ll invite the winning candidates and the people who nominated them to the Provost's Community Awards ceremony at the Glynhill Hotel in Renfrew on Friday 20 March 2026. 

The winners will also need to take part in the publicity of the awards.
 

If you want more information about the Provost's Community Awards, contact the Provost's Office by:

• phone on 0141 487 1108
• email at provostawards@renfrewshire.gov.uk 

Register for e-billing if you’d like to get your business rates bill by email instead of getting a paper bill in the post.

Before you register for e-billing for business rates, make sure you have your business rates reference number (find it at the top of your most recent bill).

If you have any questions before you register, contact us online.

Register for e-billing for business rates

We’ll contact you by email or text, depending on the information you gave us when registering, to let you know once we’ve switched you to e-billing for business rates.

We’ll aim to contact you within 10 days.

After that, you’ll start getting your business rates bills by email.