What it is
Local government elections take place at least every 5 years.
This is when you vote to elect councillors in Renfrewshire who will represent your views for the wards, or geographic area, where you live.
There could also be an election known as a by-election in a specific area if a councillor steps down or needs to be replaced.
There are:
Each electoral ward has either 3 or 4 councillors.
Find which ward you live in (Boundaries Scotland).
You can search for your local councillor by postcode, party or ward on the Renfrewshire Committees and Councillors website.
Who can vote in a local government election
To vote in a local government election, you must:
- be registered to vote
- be aged 16 or older on the day of the election (‘polling day’)
- be registered at an address in the area you want to vote in.
You must also you must be one of the following:
- a British citizen
- an Irish citizen
- a foreign national of another country who is permitted to enter or stay in the UK.
How councillors are elected
In Scotland, councillors are elected using the single transferable vote (STV) system.
This is where you rank the candidates in order of preference.
On your ballot paper, you’ll be asked to number the candidates in the order of your preference. You do this by putting 1, 2, 3 and so on in the box next to each one.
You can do this for all the people you want to vote for. You do not have to put a number beside every candidate if you do not want to.
Councillors are then elected through a mathematical process based on how they are ranked by voters.
Find out more about the process and how the votes are counted (Electoral Commission).
When the next local government election will take place
The next local government election is expected to take place in May 2027.
Previous local government election results
Polling for the most recent local government election 2022 took place on Thursday 5 May 2022.
Single Transferable Vote (STV)
Scottish local government elections use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system.
This means you rank the candidates in order of preference using numbers.
Number the candidates in the order of your choice by putting 1 in the box next to the name of the candidate who is your first choice, 2 in the box next to your second choice, and so on.
You can number as many as you wish.
How a candidate gets elected
Under the STV system, a candidate needs a minimum number of votes to be elected, known as the quota.
The formula for the quota is (valid votes cast) ÷ (seats to be filled +1) + 1.
For example, if 1,000 votes are cast in an election where 2 seats are to be filled, the quota is 334.
Counting the votes
The papers are counted electronically.
We count the first preferences - the 1s. If a candidate gets enough 1s to reach or exceed the quota, they are elected.
If no-one reaches or exceeds the quota, the candidate with the least number of votes is excluded from the contest. The votes from the excluded candidate are transferred to the other candidates going to the voters next preference marked on the ballot paper
If no one reaches or exceeds the quota, the count continues by eliminating the remaining candidate who has the fewest votes and reallocating them to the voters’ next preference. The count carries on through as many stages as are needed until finally a candidate reaches or exceeds the quota. If only two candidates are left at any stage, then the one with the most votes will be to be elected, even if they do not reach the quota.