Electoral Commission strategy and policy statement
The UK Government has announced it intends to abolish the power for the government to set a strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission.
In the Scottish Independence Referendum held on the 18th September 2014, the proposition ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ was rejected by a margin of 10.6 percentage points. The turnout at the referendum was 84.6% including rejected papers (84.5% based on valid votes). This is the highest turnout at a nationwide referendum or parliamentary election in Scotland since the franchise was extended to women in 1918.
Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 (1MB PDF)
In the Scottish Independence Referendum held on the 18th September 2014, the proposition ‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’ was rejected by a margin of 10.6 percentage points.
• 2,001,926 electors (55.3%) voted ‘No’
• 1,617,989 electors (44.7%) voted ‘Yes’.
There was a majority for ‘No’ in 28 of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas, including the capital, Edinburgh. There was a majority for ‘Yes’ in Scotland’s largest city, Glasgow.
The turnout at the referendum was 84.6% including rejected papers (84.5% based on valid votes). This is the highest turnout at a nationwide referendum or parliamentary election in Scotland since the franchise was extended to women in 1918.
For the first time, 16- and 17-year-olds were eligible to vote. 109,533 people in this age group had registered to vote by polling day.
Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 (1MB PDF)
The UK Government has announced it intends to abolish the power for the government to set a strategy and policy statement for the Electoral Commission.
Polling day for UK elections is usually Thursday and cannot be held at a weekend. Weekend voting pilots were held in four areas in local elections in May 2026.
The UK Government authorised early and flexible voting pilot schemes in England in May 2026. Further pilots are due in May 2027.