Ballot boxes are being opened at counting centres across Scotland this morning as the votes cast in the Scottish Parliament election begin to be tallied. The count marks the final stage of a campaign focused on Scotland’s future direction, with parties vying for control of the 129-seat Parliament. In advance of polling day, First Minister and SNP leader John Swinney said he was “confident” his party would win the majority it needs, arguing that such a result “would provide a mandate for a second independence referendum.”
Voters went to the polls yesterday, with stations open from 7am until 10pm, in the first Scottish Parliament election since 2021. There is no overnight count, with ballot papers verified through the night before counting begins in earnest today, under directions issued to “add resilience to a complex process.” Ballot boxes are being opened from 9am at venues across the country, with counting teams working through the day to deliver constituency and regional list results.
Holyrood’s electoral system combines 73 constituency MSPs elected by first-past-the-post with 56 regional MSPs allocated on a proportional basis across eight electoral regions. Boundary changes mean that while the total number of seats remains 129, some constituencies have been renamed or redrawn for this election. Pollsters say the outcome remains finely balanced, with Ipsos finding the SNP “on course to win significantly more of the vote than any other party” but warning that “1 in 4 voters still say they may yet change their mind.”
The first constituency declarations are expected early this afternoon, with later counts running into the evening as larger or closer contests take longer to resolve. Estimated declaration times suggest some constituencies could declare around lunchtime, while others – including regional results – may not be known until early evening. The Electoral Management Board has stressed that timings are approximate and could slip if there are delays in verification, close results demanding recounts or higher-than-expected turnout.
The broader stakes of the contest have been underlined by all the main parties. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has framed the vote as a chance to “pass verdict” on nearly two decades of SNP government, saying Scotland must choose between “a government that continues to serve itself with the SNP or a government in service of the people with Scottish Labour.” He has argued that “a government led by Scottish Labour will initiate a new chapter”, promising to “address the failures of the SNP and ensure a brighter future for our NHS.”
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Opposition leaders have also urged voters to deny the SNP a majority. Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay has warned that if Mr Swinney’s “arrogant boast of a majority comes true then Scotland will be plunged into fresh constitutional chaos”, insisting his party is “the only party that can be trusted to stand up for the Union and stand up to the SNP.” Reform UK has told voters this election is “far from decided” and urged them to “reject more of the same and choose a different direction for Scotland” after what it calls “nearly two decades of SNP failure.”
Compared with the Covid-era election in 2021, officials expect a brisker operation, with the bulk of constituency and regional declarations due by tonight. Broadcasters and news outlets are planning continuous coverage as results come in, with early declarations likely to be watched closely for signs of swings, turnout shifts and how the new boundaries are reshaping Scotland’s political map. By the time the final seats are declared later today, voters should know not only who their local MSPs are, but also which party – or combination of parties – will shape Scotland’s next government.
