All you need to know about voting in the 2026 Scottish Parliamentary elections if you're in the Southside of Glasgow
Our voting guide includes all you need to know for voting in the Scottish Parliament Election on 7 May 2025 if you live in the Southside of Glagsow – including which candidates are standing in Glasgow Southside, how the Additional Member Systems works, where to vote and more.
Read Glasgow Southside candidates answers to your questions here.
By Samar Jamal
The Scottish Parliamentary Election takes place on Thursday, 7 May, and polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm.
This election is to vote for who you want your Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) to be. Scottish representatives make decisions on all devolved issues. Find out what these issues are on the Scottish Parliament website.
Registration closes on 20 April. You can register to vote here. If you want to vote by post, you have to register by Tuesday, 21 April. If you want to vote by proxy you need to register by 5pm on Tuesday 28 April.
Where do I go to vote in Glasgow Southside?
Those voting in Glasgow Southside can find their local polling station here – all you need is your postcode.
How does the Scottish voting system work?
Voters will cast two votes – one for a constituency MSP and one for a regional MSP – using the Additional Member System (AMS).
The constituency vote
The candidate with the most votes wins and becomes the MSP for that constituency.
This is calculated first and affects how many additional MSPs can be elected in the regional vote – more on this below.
The regional vote
Regions are larger areas made up of multiple constituencies.
The regional vote is calculated by taking the number of MSPs already elected in the constituency vote and applying it to a formula.
The formula works by taking the total number of votes for each party or independent candidate on the regional list and dividing it by the number of constituency seats won by that party.
This process is repeated for several rounds until all seven regional MSPs are elected.
This type of voting system is intended to make the results fairer and more proportional to the number of votes a party or independent candidate receives. This is because the votes each party or independent candidate receives in the constituency vote are taken into account when the regional MSPs are calculated, reflecting each party’s share of the vote.
Some reports claim that this system favours larger parties, and results are not always fully proportional. AMS is more likely to lead to a coalition government or a power-sharing agreement. This can raise concerns that parties might compromise on policy promises to reach a mutual agreement.
Who is eligible to vote in the Scottish Parliament Election?
You are eligible to vote if you are:
Aged 16 or older for Scottish Parliament elections
A British citizen living in Scotland
An Irish citizen living in Scotland
A foreign national living in Scotland with leave to enter or stay in the UK, or who does not need leave (such as refugees)
You must have registered to vote by 20 April.
What do I need with me to vote in the Southside?
In the Scottish Parliament Election, you do not need to bring ID to vote.
Boundary changes in the Glasgow for Scottish Parliamentary elections
If you live in Govanhill, you are in the Southside. While there have been boundary changes, this has not altered which area Govanhill is part of. It has, however, included some additional areas, stretching to Craigton, Cathcart, and King’s Park.
These changes have been reviewed by taking into account population changes since 2011. Regular reviews of constituency boundaries take place to track population changes and ensure fair representation. MSPs aim to represent roughly the same number of voters in their areas, balancing representation across the country. Some existing constituencies are too large or too small, making adjustments necessary.
Who are the candidates in Glasgow Southside?
The following are all the candidates we currently know are standing.
Glasgow Southside Constituency Scottish Parliament Election 2026 candidates:
Independent: Arzoo Abdullah
Scottish Green: Holly Bruce
Scottish Common Party: Kamran Butt
Labour: Rashid Hussain
Conservative: Ross Hutton
Reform UK: Gordon Millar
Liberal Democrats: Rachel Park
Scottish National Party: Kaukab Stewart
Read their answers to your questions in our Glasgow Southside voter guide here.
Enter your postcode to find out which candidates are standing in your area, which parties you can vote for and where your polling station is
What can the Scottish Parliament decide?
The Scottish Parliament has power to make laws on a range of issues known as devolved matters.
Devolved matters include:
agriculture, forestry and fisheries
benefits (some aspects)
consumer advocacy and advice
economic development
education and training
elections to the Scottish Parliament and local government
energy (some aspects)
environment
equality legislation (some aspects)
fire services
freedom of information
health and social services
housing
justice and policing
local government
planning
sport and the arts
taxation (some aspects)
tourism
transport (some aspects)
Tell us, what are the big issues in 2026? We are building a Citizens Agenda for the Holyrood election this summer, and we need your help to do that. It’s as easy as responding to a short online survey. There are just two questions:
What issues do you want candidates to be speaking about as they compete for your vote?
What kind of solutions could/would work to tackle these issues?