Postal Packs issued for two Highland Council By-elections
Issued on behalf of the Returning Officer
Postal vote packs for the Ward 7 Tain and Easter Ross and the Ward 11 Caol and Mallaig by-elections have been posted out. The Highland Council is advising postal voters to read the instructions carefully when completing their statement and ballot paper to ensure their vote counts.
The postal packs contain:
- Envelope A / Postal Voting Statement
- Ballot paper
- Return envelope (Envelope B)
- A guide to completing your postal vote
A short video clip explaining how to correctly complete and return your postal ballot is available to assist voters.
Anyone who has requested a postal vote will not be able to vote in person at a polling station. However, it is possible to return your postal pack by hand into a polling station within the ward between the hours of 7am and 10pm on the day of poll - Thursday 25 September 2025 - if you are unable to post it in time. The list of polling stations can be viewed on the council’s website www.highland.gov.uk/byelection
If you haven’t received your postal pack on or after Thursday 18 September 2025, please telephone 01349 886657 for a replacement pack.
Those voters who will be casting their votes in person at a polling station should have received a poll card that details which polling station they should go to. Voters in Ward 7 are asked to check their poll card carefully as Fearn Primary School and Nigg Village Hall will not be used as polling places for this by-election. Instead, in-person voters for both these polling districts will vote at the Balintore Seaboard Memorial Hall. Alternatively, voters can opt to apply for a postal vote for this by-election.
A dial-a-bus service will be in place on Thursday 25 September 2025 to take any voters in the Nigg and Fearn area to the Balintore Seaboard Memorial Hall to vote in person. Anyone wishing to use this service must book before 18:30 on Wednesday 24 September 2025 by calling 01862 892166. The dial-a-bus service will be operating on Thursday 25 September 2025 between the hours 09:00 – 12:00 and 13:00 – 14:30.
Voters are reminded that 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. Voters are asked to put no other mark on the ballot paper as this could result in their vote not being counted.
Ward 7 Tain and Easter Ross candidates are:
ANDROULAKAKIS, Manuel - Scottish Conservative and Unionist
BARNETT, Andrew - Scottish Greens
NEWMAN, Peter - Scottish National Party (SNP)
NIMMONS, Eric – Independent
RAMSAY, Connie - Scottish Liberal Democrats
WILSON, Stuart - Reform UK
The candidates standing in Ward 11, Caol and Mallaig are:
CAMERON, Sammy – Independent
CAMPBELL, Isla Maev - Scottish Liberal Democrats
FORBES, Ryan Andrew - Reform UK
HENDERSON, Allan – Independent
MACKENZIE, Donald Matheson - Scottish Conservatives and Unionist
PERERA, Michael Robert - Scottish Labour Party
PROSSER, Matthew Sam – Independent
TAYLOR, Aaron - Scottish National Party (SNP)