UK Parliamentary Election 2010
A General Election must be held in the United Kingdom, on or before 3 June 2010 when the five-year term of the present Government comes to an end. Scotland will have 59 of the 650 MPs in the House of Commons and in the Highlands there are three parliamentary constituencies, covering a total of 171,587 voters. They are Caithness Sutherland and Easter Ross (47,263 voters); Ross Skye and Lochaber (51,934) and Inverness Nairn Badenoch and Strathspey (72,390).
Responsibility for organising the elections in the Highlands is that of the Returning Officer, Alistair Dodds, Chief Executive of The Highland Council. He is actively preparing for the elections within the three constituencies. About 660 people will be employed to operate the 330 polling stations across the three constituencies. He has also to recruit staff to administer the election and to count the postal and proxy votes cast at the polling stations. If you are interested in being employed by the Returning Officer at the Parliamentary Election, please let the Election Team know by e-mailing elections@highland.gov.uk. Further information can then be made available to you.
The counts will take place at Wick, Dingwall and Inverness. A decision will be taken soon on the timing of the count ie overnight or the next day. The Returning Officer is presently considering the responses to a recent consultation on the subject.
You can check that are registered as an elector, or get further advice, by telephoning 0800 393 783.
Boundary Commission for Scotland: Revised Recommendations
The Boundary Commission for Scotland today intimated a Local Inquiry into its provisional proposals the Scottish Parliament Regions.The inquiry will be held on 23October 2009 in the Parish Halls, 266 George Street, Glasgow. The Commission's proposals can be accessed on its website - a link can be found here.
The Commission has also confirmed that it will be submitting its revised proposals to the Secretary of State for Scotland for approval.
The constituencies recommended for the Highland Council area are:
Caithness, Sutherland and Ross 55,690 electors
Inverness and Nairn 61,600 electors
Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch 56,470 electors
A Map showing the extent of the constituencies is shown below
Boundary Commission Review - Highland Council Area (PDF 840 Kb)
The by-election for a councillor to serve the Inverness West Ward (No 14) on The Highland Council has been won by Alasdair Christie, Liberal Democrat Focus Team. The turnout was 38.35%. Six candidates contested the vacancy, created by the recent death of Independent Councillor, Jimmy MacDonald.
- Scottish Parliament Results
Disclaimer
This section of the website aims to provide relevant factual information to voters and candidates on election matters in the Highland Council area. It is designed to complement other sources of information and is provided as a guide. It should not be relied on as legally definitive and the Returning Officer does not accept any responsibility for any errors or omissions, or any act arising from them. Voters, candidates or agents should consult the appropriate legislation and seek their own legal advice if they are in any doubt about a particular point.