40% of 16 and 17-year-olds not registered to vote in Scottish election
Scots have until midnight on April 20 to register to cast their ballot in the Holyrood poll
news.stv.tvHere’s the latest on registering to vote in Scotland, based on recent reporting.
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Registration deadline for the Scottish Parliament elections on May 7 was 11:59 pm on April 20. If you missed it, you won’t be able to vote in the May 7 ballot unless you have already registered for new elections later on [source: Angus Council news piece about the last chance to register].[1]
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National-level coverage notes that as of late March/early April 2026, around 4.2 million people were registered to vote in Scotland, with ongoing emphasis on the registration cut-off and options for postal or proxy voting if you register in time [BBC Scotland registration totals; STV deadline reports].[2][3]
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If you’re unsure whether you’re registered, check whether you’ve already received a poll card or verify your registration status online at the official gov.uk registration portal or the Scottish government’s voter portal. The deadlines for postal and proxy votes depend on your registration status and are typically several days after the main registration deadline (e.g., postal vote deadline around April 21; proxy vote deadline around April 28).[3][1]
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Practical takeaway: if you’re in Scotland and want to vote in the next election, you should register online as soon as possible if you haven’t already, using gov.uk/register-to-vote, and confirm any necessary deadlines for postal or proxy voting if applicable.[1][3]
If you’d like, I can pull the latest official guidance from the Scottish Government and Electoral Commission and summarize the exact steps for online registration, postal vote, and proxy vote with current deadlines. I can also tailor the guidance to your location in New York City, but note that voting eligibility and registration are UK-specific.