This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007
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Countdown begins to May 2007
03/11/2006
A campaign gets underway today to inform people in Scotland about the elections on May 3, 2007 - exactly six months to the day ahead.
The Electoral Commission and the Executive have joined forces to develop the VoteScotland campaign to encourage people to register, to explain the new voting system, and to motivate them to vote in the Scottish Parliamentary and local council election which are being held on the same day.
A new website is part of the campaign which is targeted on all eligible voters and, in particular, under-registered groups and those less likely to vote, including young people, some ethnic minority communities, and people who have moved house.
Advertising will be launched in the run-up to the election date using television, newspapers, bus adverts and outdoor posters.
Voting Systems:
- For the first time, the proportional system of Single Transferable Vote (STV) will be used for the local council elections. Voters will be asked to mark numbers (1,2,3, ) against the candidates names in order of preference. Three or four larger member wards will replace the current single member wards on local councils
- The Scottish Parliament elections will again involve a mix of first-past-the-post and proportional representation through the Additional Member System (AMS). This requires the voter to mark a cross (X) in the box next to the Constituency candidate of their council and a cross in the box next to the Regional list party of individual candidate of their choice.
Andy O'Neill, Head of the Electoral Commission Scotland, said:
"Politics affects all aspects of our everyday lives, whether at home, at work or at leisure and our campaign aims to reflect this.
"Voting is a chance to have your say on the things that matter to you and we hope VoteScotland will resonate with people all over Scotland.
"We are calling on people to register now and to make their vote count in six months time - May 3, 2007."
At the last Scottish Parliament elections in 2003 the turnout was 49 per cent - 10 per cent lower than the previous elections in 1999. Only 35 per cent of eligible 18-24 year olds voted in 2003.