General Information on Elections

The City of Edinburgh Council is responsible for the administration of the following elections:

• Local (Council)
• Local (Community Councils)
• Scottish Parliamentary (Constituency and List)
• Westminster (General)
• European
• By-elections (held if a Councillor, MP or MSP dies or resigns. Special elections such as referendums are also held occasionally)

The Chief Executive of the City of Edinburgh Council is the Returning Officer for all of these elections and, is also currently responsible for the European Elections in his role as the Regional Returning Officer.

The Returning Officer is responsible for:

• the nomination process for candidates and political parties
• provision and notification of polling stations
• appointment of Presiding Officers and polling clerks
• appropriate administration and security of polling stations
• separation of all ballot papers
• the actual count and declaration of results
• issue, receipt and counting of postal ballot papers
• all candidates' election expenses returns
• presentation of final account
• reclamation of funding from external bodies as prescribed