News In Focus
3 September 2010
Third round of election reform consultation
The Scottish Government has begun a consultation on detailed proposals to improve local government elections in Scotland.
The consultation is the third in a series of consultations following the publication of the Independent Review of the 2007 Scottish Parliamentary and Local Government Elections (the Gould Report). Previous consultations addressed the decoupling of local government elections from elections to the Scottish Parliament and the possible creation of a post of Chief Returning Officer for Scotland.
Under discussion now are the remaining recommendations made by the Gould Report and the options for implementation. These cover:
- Election timetable
- Process for deciding format and effectiveness of ballot papers
- The positioning of candidates' names on ballot papers
- Maintaining the secrecy of the ballot
- Counting of ballots
- Auto-adjudication of ballot papers
- Alternative voting arrangements.
Minister for Parliamentary Business, Bruce Crawford MSP, said: “It is vital that the processes that relate to the administration of elections in Scotland are robust and fit for purpose. This consultation will enable all those with an interest in the processes to make their voices heard on proposals which seek to improve fairness and accessibility for all.”
The consultation runs until 15 October 2010. Click here to access the paper.