The Scottish Parliament (Elections etc.) Order 2015

Voting procedure

46.—(1) At a Scottish parliamentary general election a voter may apply for a constituency ballot paper or a regional ballot paper or both, but at any such election, the presiding officer shall assume, in the absence of a clear indication to the contrary, that the voter’s application is for a constituency ballot paper and a regional ballot paper.

(2) A ballot paper shall be delivered to a voter who applies for one, and immediately before delivery—

(a) the number and (unless paragraph (3) applies) name of the elector as stated in the polling register shall be called out;

(b) the number of the elector shall be marked on the corresponding number list mentioned in rule 38(3)(d) beside the number of the ballot paper to be issued to the elector;

(c) a mark shall be placed in the polling register against the number of the elector to note that a ballot paper has been received but without showing the particular ballot paper which has been received;

(d) in the case of a person applying for a ballot paper as proxy, a mark shall also be placed against the proxy’s name in the list of proxies.

(3) In the case of an elector who has an anonymous entry, the elector must show the presiding officer the elector’s official poll card and only the elector’s number shall be called out in pursuance of sub-paragraph (2)(a).

(4) The voter, on receiving the ballot paper, shall forthwith proceed into one of the compartments in the polling station and there secretly mark the voter’s paper, shall show to the presiding officer the back of the paper, so as to disclose the unique identifying number, and shall then put the ballot paper into the ballot box in the presiding officer’s presence.

(5) The voter shall vote without undue delay, and shall leave the polling station as soon as the voter has put the voter’s ballot paper into the ballot box.

(6) Where—

(a) a voter attends the polling station before 10 pm; and

(b) the voter is still waiting to vote at 10 pm,

the presiding officer must permit the voter to vote without delay after 10 pm and must close the poll immediately after the last such voter has voted.

(7) At a Scottish parliamentary general election the same copy of the polling register may be used under paragraph (2) for a constituency ballot paper and a regional ballot paper and one mark may be placed in that register under paragraph (2)(c) or in the list of proxies under paragraph (2)(d) to denote that each of the ballot papers has been received; and, where one mark is so placed in that register or, as the case may be, list, the mark shall, unless the contrary intention appears, be taken to denote that a constituency ballot paper and regional ballot paper have been received.