Highland Council By-election - Voters urged to make sure their vote counts

Issued on behalf of the Returning Officer 

Polling will take place on Thursday 28 September 2023 to fill the vacant seat for The Highland Council's Tain and Easter Ross ward and voters are being reminded to be ready to make their vote count.  

The single transferable vote system will be used. Instead of using a cross, voters should number the candidates in the order of their choice, putting a number 1 in the box next to the name of the candidate who is their first choice, 2 in the box next to their second choice and so on. Voters can mark as many choices as they wish. . 

Postal packs have been despatched to those registered electors that submitted a form by the postal vote deadline.  Further guidance on how to complete your postal pack is available here – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iaBmshj533o 

Anyone who has requested a postal vote will not be able to vote in person at a polling station. However, it is possible to hand your complete postal pack into a polling station within the ward between 7am and 10pm on Thursday 28 September 2023, if you are unable to post it in time. 

For those opting to vote in person on Thursday 28 September, polling stations will be open from 7am until 10pm. People are reminded to check their poll cards as this will have details of where they need to go to cast their vote.  

In order not to disrupt the education of pupils the Council will not be using school premises as polling stations but instead will be using local community halls. This means that the Primary School in Fearn will not be a polling station. Voters who previously used this location will need to vote at the Seaboard Memorial Hall. A dial-a-bus service will be available on Thursday 28 September 2023 for voters living in the Fearn area who would previously have voted at the Primary School and will now need to go to Balintore Seaboard Memorial Hall to cast their vote.  The dial-a-bus service can be contacted via 01862 892166 during the hours of operation from 9am to 5.30pm. 

Information about this change of polling station is highlighted in a short video which is available via this link - https://youtu.be/L8fSQES9kDs 

The confirmed 7 candidates standing for election for Ward 7 – Tain and Easter Ross are: 

• ALLISON, Gordon - Scottish National Party (SNP) 

• BARNETT, Andrew - Scottish Green Party 

• CHRISTIAN, Harry - Scottish Libertarian Party 

• MORRISON, Veronica - Scottish Conservative and Unionist 

• PERERA, Michael - Scottish Labour Party 

• ROSS, Maureen - Independent 

• STEPHEN, Charles - Scottish Liberal Democrats 

The election count will take place in Tain Royal Academy, Tain on Friday 29 September 2023 starting at 10.00am. People will be able to follow the count and watch the declaration of the results live via the Council’s social media channels - @highlandcouncil 

All information about the by-election, including answers to frequently asked questions and short video clips to show how to vote is available by visiting the Council’s website   www.highland.gov.uk/byelection