Elections Office
Council Offices
High Street
Elgin
Moray
Tel: 01343 563334
Email: election.enquiries@moray.gov.uk
Types of Election
There are different types of elections for which the Returning Officer for Moray helps to manage. The Returning Officer is the person in charge of conduct of elections and counting of any votes in a constituency.
- European Parliament Election
- UK Westminster Parliament Elections
- Scottish Parliament Elections
- Local Government Elections
- Community Council Elections
- By-Elections
- Parent Councils (formerly School Boards)
- Cairngorm National Park Elections
- Crofting Board Elections
To see which elections are running currently please visit the forthcoming elections page.
European Parliament Elections
The European Parliament in Brussels represents people living in the 27 member countries of the European Union (EU) on matters such as foreign affairs, development, agriculture, civil liberties and fisheries. Ministers of the European Parliament are called MEPs and have the power to approve, amend or reject nearly all EU legislation. The European Parliament also decides on the EU budget and influences how EU money is spent.
There are currently 785 MEPs, 78 of whom come from the UK and 7 of which represent Scotland.
A list of MEPs currently representing Scotland can be found on the UK Office of the European Parliament website.
European Parliament Elections are held every five years with the last being in June 2009 and the next election due in June 2014.
UK Westminster Parliamentary Election (General Election)
The General Election is when you vote to for an MP (Members of Parliament) to represent Moray to the House of Commons, which is the primary legislative chamber of the UK located in at the UK Parliament in Westminster, London.
The United Kingdom is split into constituencies, and each constituency votes for an MP (Member of Parliament) to represent them, using the 'first past the post' system.
The last General Election was held in May 2010 with the next scheduled for May 2015.
The current MP for Moray is Angus Robertson (SNP).
Go to Angus Robertson - SNP (MP) - website
Scottish Parliamentary Election
The Scottish Parliament, based in Edinburgh was officially opened on 1 July 1999. It is responsible legislation for devolved matters e.g. planning, education, environment and health and social services. Elected candidates are called MSPs (Minster of Scottish Parliament).
The Parliament consists of 129 MSPs, comprising 73 Constituency MSPs and 56 Regional MSPs. When you vote in a Scottish Parliament election, you have two votes – one to elect your constituency member and one to elect your regional member (additional member system). In the constituency ballot, you choose the candidate you want to represent you directly. In the regional ballot, you choose from a list of party or independent candidates to represent your region. In Moray we are part of the Highlands’ and Islands region.
Moray is represented by 1 Moray Constituency MSP, and 7 Regional MSPs.
Elections for the Scottish Parliament occur every four years with the last election in May 2011 and the next election scheduled for May 2015.
The current MSP for Moray is Richard Lochhead (SNP). You can find any MSP by using this postcode locator facility.
Go to Richard Lochhead - SNP (MSP) - website
Local Government Elections
Local Government elections elect your local Councillors to represent the District of Moray. There are 8 Multi-member Wards in the Moray area, with a total of 26 serving councillors who currently serve a five year term. The last Local Government election was held in May 2012.
| Ward No. | Ward Name | No. of Councillors |
|---|---|---|
1 | Speyside Glenlivet | 3 |
| 2 | Keith and Cullen | 3 |
| 3 | Buckie | 3 |
| 4 | Fochabers Lhanbryde | 3 |
| 5 | Heldon and Laich | 4 |
| 6 | Elgin City North | 3 |
| 7 | Elgin City South | 3 |
| 8 | Forres | 4 |
For more information about your local councillor please visit the dedicated web page's on Councillors and Committees.
Community Councils
The Community Councils' role is to communicate local opinion to larger bodies of local and central government. Members are elected every four years to represent the Community council area.
If there are less candidates than seats, no election will be held. If membership of the community council falls to less than half, then the Community Council shall not operate until there are enough members.
The last Community Council election was held in Autumn 2009 and the next election is due in October 2013.
More information about Community Councils
By- Elections
A by-election occurs when a seat becomes vacant between elections for reasons such as resignation, expulsion, bankruptcy or death of the sitting Member. By-Elections can be held for European, UK, Scottish Parliaments and Local Government. By-elections may also be held for Community Councils when the membership falls to below half.
Parent Councils (formerly School Boards)
From August 2007, with the implementation of the Scottish Schools (Parental Involvement) Act 2006, Parent Councils became the representative body for parents replacing school boards in Moray schools.
Elections will be conducted at the request of the individual parent councils.
Cairngorm National Park Elections
The Cairngorm National Park holds elections to elect five community representatives to their board. The Park Boundary encompasses an area of Moray within Cairngorm National Park Ward 4 – Aberdeenshire/Moray.
Elections to this board are administered by the Returning Officer based at the Highland Council. The last election was held in March 2011 and is next due in March 2016.
Crofting Board Elections
The Crofting Reform (Scotland) Act 2010 was passed by the Scottish Parliament in 2010 and makes provision for elections to be held to the Crofting Commission. The first election is scheduled for March 2012.
