Voting systems in the UK
This briefing provides an overview of the different voting systems currently used for elections in the UK. It also examines the pros and cons of different systems.
Documents to download
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Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 (1 MB , 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.
Documents to download
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Scottish Independence Referendum 2014 (1 MB , PDF)
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The Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill 2024-25
The Absent Voting (Elections in Scotland and Wales) Bill would allow for the alignment of rules on absent voting arrangements between reserved and devolved elections in Scotland and Wales.
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By-election timetables
Election rules state elections must be held using a set timetable. This briefing explains the timetable for by-elections to the UK Parliament.