UPDATE - Scottish Council Elections Thursday 5 May 2022 Preparedness and Building on Experience

UPDATE -  The slides used in the presentations at the event are now available for download from the usual 2022 downloads section of the website.  Also included is the draft spreadsheet that will be created and hsoted on the EMB website covering the results from every ward.

A joint Electoral Management Board for Scotland / Electoral Commission seminar for Scotland’s Returning Officers and Electoral Registration Officers is being held on Thursday 27 January 2022 , 10.20 a.m. – 3.30 p.m..   Invitations have already been circulated and due to the current guidance on working from home the event wil l be held over Teams.   Joining instruictions will be sent out early next week or delegates can contact Chris Highcock. for the link.  

Purpose of Event

The Scottish Council elections will take place on 5 May 2022.

While we all hope the elections will not take place under Coronavirus restrictions it is prudent to plan to do so at this stage and we continue to take the advice of Public Health Scotland. Building on our experiences of before and after the 2021 Scottish Parliament election, Returning Officers (ROs) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will have to put in place plans and measures to ensure that the polls can be conducted safely and in accordance with prevailing rules and health restrictions.

Planning is key.  With this in mind, the Electoral Commission and Electoral Management Board for Scotland are jointly hosting this event for Scotland’s ROs and EROs.

Whether you are an experienced RO or ERO, or new to the role, this is an important event for your calendar.

Why should you attend?

The broad theme of the seminar is "preparedness and building on experience". We will be dealing with more candidates than at the last election in May, using a different electoral system, and employing e-counting on the Friday morning.

The seminar will give you the opportunity to hear from the Convener of the EMB on the directions and recommendations he has put in place for the conduct of the poll.  The Commission will update on guidance and resources to assist you in delivering the polls and our approach to performance standards.    

Sessions will involve input from key stakeholders including EMB, the Commission, Scottish Government, and Police Scotland. 

Key Outcomes

In attending the seminar, you will:-

• Learn from the collective and individual experience of other ROs and EROs and their teams arising from the 2021 election.
• Be informed of what is new in terms of rules and legislation, the Directions and recommendations put in place by the Convener of the EMB for the conduct of the polls;
• Become familiar with the sources of support and guidance available to you;
• Have discussed how to deliver the election in the current public health context.
• Develop a greater understanding of the expectations of voters in relation to accessibility matters and of what works well and be able to consider what needs to improve.
• Be aware of the latest Integrity and cyber security matters.
• Understand the principles underpinning the adjudication of ballot papers process and how to undertake that process.
• Consider all aspects of how to undertake a successful count process.

We hope to see you at the event.