Young Women Demand have created this glossary of political terms with the aim of increasing young women’s engagement with politics in Scotland. It is not definitive but is a starting toolkit, written by young women, for young women, to help navigate elections, campaigns and politics more generally.

It is intended to demystify complicated language and empower young women to confidently engage with politics and make informed political decisions.

Getting ready to vote

Electoral Register – Sometimes called the electoral roll, this is a list of everyone in Scotland who is registered to vote in elections. You can join the electoral register from the time you turn 14.

You must be registered by 20 April 2026 to vote in May’s Scottish Parliament election.

Once you’re registered to vote, you’ll automatically be sent a polling card before every election – so you only need to sign up once. Just make sure to update your registration if you move address, otherwise your polling card will go to the wrong place and you may not be able to vote!

Polling Card – A card sent to your home address before an election, confirming that you are registered to vote. It tells you the date of the election, where your polling station is and your voter number. You don’t legally need to bring it with you on the day, but it can make the process quicker and easier.

Postal Vote – Instead of going to a polling station on the day of the election, you can cast your vote beforehand and submit it by post. You don’t need a specific reason to sign up for a postal vote and you don’t even need to buy a stamp!

Online postal vote applications are only available for UK Parliament elections. To apply for a postal vote for the Scottish Parliament election in May, you will need to complete a paper application form and send it to your local electoral registration office by 21 April 2026. 

Proxy Vote – If you can’t make it to a polling station on election day, you can ask someone you trust to vote on your behalf, which is known as voting ‘by proxy’. You will need to tell your proxy which candidate and/or party you want to vote for. Find out how to vote by proxy.

If you wish to vote by proxy at the next Scottish Parliament election in May, you will need to apply by 28 April 2026.

If you miss this deadline but have an emergency that prevents you from voting in person, such as a sudden illness, you may still be able to apply for an emergency proxy vote up until 5pm on polling day. Contact your local electoral registration office as soon as possible if this applies to you.

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How voting works

Candidate – A person who is putting themselves forward to be elected as an MSP. Candidates can stand as a representative of a political party, or as an independent (meaning they have no party affiliation). Find the list of your local candidates. 

Additional Member System (AMS) – The name of the electoral system used in Scottish Parliament elections. Under this system, you will cast two votes on election day, one for your constituency and one for your region. On the constituency ballot paper, you vote for a specific candidate and on the regional ballot paper, you vote for a political party. You don’t have to cast both votes for the same party if you don’t want – this is called a split ballot.

Constituency – The whole country is split into different constituencies – geographic areas which each have their own representative to Parliament. In an election, you are voting for an MSP or MP to represent your area. You can find your constituency by typing in your postcode. 

Region – Scotland is split into 8 regions and each region has its own set of  MSPs. When voting for your region, you are only able to choose the party you want to vote for, and not an individual candidate. The regions are: Central Scotland, Glasgow, Highlands and Islands, Lothian, Mid Scotland and Fife, North East Scotland, South Scotland, and West Scotland. 

Polling Station – The place where you go to cast your vote. Your polling station will be listed on the top of your polling card. If you cannot make it to the polling station on the day, you can sign up for a postal or proxy vote in advance.

Ballot Paper – The official form you use to cast your vote on election day. It lists all the candidates and/or parties standing in your area, and you mark it with an ‘X’ to show who you are voting for. You will receive two ballot papers in a Scottish Parliamentary Election – one for your constituency and one for your region. Once marked, your ballot paper is folded and placed in a sealed ballot box, and is counted anonymously after polls close.

Spoiled Ballot – A ballot paper that cannot be counted as a valid vote – either accidentally (e.g. marking two candidates instead of one) or deliberately, as a way of registering dissatisfaction with all available options. If you spoil your ballot intentionally, it is still recorded and counted separately, so it does show up as a form of political participation – though it won’t contribute to any candidate or party’s total vote count.

Tactical Voting – When you make a strategic decision about how you will cast your vote, to try and have a greater impact on the outcome of the election. For example, you might want to vote for a party or candidate that does not totally align with your personal beliefs to stop another from winning the seat. 

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The Scottish political system

Democracy – Literally meaning “rule by the people”, it is a system of government based on the idea that everyone should have a say in how their country is run. In a democracy, governments are accountable to the people they represent – meaning they can be voted out if people are unhappy with their decisions.

In practice, democracy is about much more than just voting. It includes the right to free speech, a free press, peaceful protest and the ability to hold those in power to account. In Scotland, this looks like voting in elections for MSPs, MPs and local councillors, contacting your representatives to raise issues that matter to you, signing petitions, joining campaigns, attending hustings and making your voice heard in whatever way that feels right to you.

Democracy works best when everyone participates – and that includes you! 

Parliamentary Term – The fixed period of time between elections (in Scotland this is five years). At the end of each term, all MSP seats become vacant and a new election is held. The next Scottish Parliamentary election is on 7 May 2026.

Scottish Parliament & Scottish Government – These are two separate organisations that are often confused and even news stories sometimes use “Holyrood” to refer to both. Here’s the difference:

• The Scottish Parliament is based at Holyrood in Edinburgh and is made up of all 129 elected MSPs. Its job is to debate and pass laws on devolved matters and to hold the Scottish Government to account by scrutinising its decisions and policies.
• The Scottish Government is made up of MSPs from the party or parties that won the most seats in the election. Led by the First Minister, it proposes new laws to Parliament, decides how the Scottish budget is spent and puts policies into action once Parliament has approved them. It is supported by civil servants – professional staff who work for the government regardless of which party is in power.

Coalition or Minority Government – Because the Scottish Parliament uses the AMS voting system, it is common for no single party to win enough seats to govern alone. When this happens, two or more parties may agree to work together – this is called a coalition government. Alternatively, a party may try to govern with fewer seats than the combined opposition – this is called a minority government. Both are a normal and expected part of how Scottish politics works.

Devolved & Reserved Powers – Not all political decisions are made by the Scottish Parliament.

• Some issues are devolved, meaning the Scottish Parliament has the power to debate them and make laws on them. Devolved issues include: education and schools, housing, policing and justice, healthcare including abortion and mental health, the environment, transport, some taxes, some benefits and social security, childcare, and culture and sport. 
• Other issues are reserved, meaning only the UK Parliament at Westminster has the power to make laws on them. These include: immigration, foreign affairs and defence, most social security and welfare including Universal Credit and Child Benefit, employment law, broadcasting, and equalities legislation. 

This means there might be some issues that you feel strongly about that can only be changed by voting in a UK General Election, and not in a Scottish one.

First Minister – The leader of the Scottish Government. They are usually the leader of the party with the most MSPs. You do not vote directly for the First Minister: they are voted in as an MSP like any other.

MSP – A person who represents their constituency in the Scottish Parliament and is elected at Scottish Parliament elections. Find details of your local MSP.

MP- A person who represents their constituency in the UK Parliament at Westminster (in London) and is elected at UK general elections. Find details of your local MP. 

Local Councillor – An elected representative who serves on your local council – the body responsible for delivering services in your area such as schools, roads, housing, waste collection and social care. Scotland is divided into 32 local council areas, each with their own elected councillors. Local council elections are held separately from Scottish Parliament and UK Parliament elections and the next one is in 2027! Find out who your local councillors are. 

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Understanding politics

Human Rights – These are internationally-recognised rights that are afforded to all people, just by being human. These include the right to education, healthcare, freedom from discrimination and the right to participate in public life. Our governments have a duty to protect, respect, and fulfil our access to these rights. Both the UK and Scottish Governments have to consider these when making any decisions. 

Manifesto – A written statement containing a set of policies, reflecting their values and goals, that a party, organisation or individual stands for. Political parties will release their manifesto ahead of an election and if elected into government, a party is expected to act on the promises it contains.

Organisations and campaign groups also publish manifestos to set out what they want politicians to prioritise, and to hold them to account. Reading these alongside party manifestos can be a really useful way of understanding what different groups are calling for and how well political parties are responding to those demands.

The Young Women Demand manifesto sets out our six policy priorities to ensure that the voices and experiences of young women are at the heart of policy making in Scotland.

Hustings – A public meeting ahead of an election where members of the public can hear candidates speak about their positions on local and national issues, and ask them questions directly. Hustings are open to everyone and can be a really useful way of finding out more about what candidates plan to do if elected.

• A young women’s guide to hustings: In this article, Young Women Demand steering group member Laura explains what a hustings is, and how young women can make the most of hustings.

Political Spectrum – A way of mapping out different political beliefs, most commonly on a scale from left to right. Left-wing politics generally prioritises equality, public services and collective action, while right-wing politics tends to emphasise tradition, free markets and individual responsibility. Most parties sit somewhere in between, and many issues don’t fit neatly on this scale at all, but it can be a useful shorthand when you’re trying to understand where different parties are coming from.

Austerity – The collective name given to the UK government’s policy of reducing government spending in the public and welfare sectors. While some parties argue this policy helps to balance the government budget, the long-term consequences have particularly negative effects on marginalised groups. 

For a gendered analysis of the impact of austerity on women and girls, you can read this Women’s Budget Group’s article from 2022: Austerity is Gender-based Violence.