Research shows that some groups, including young people, students and those who have recently moved house or changed their name, are less likely to be registered than others and could lose their chance to have their say on who represents them in the Scottish Parliament and makes decisions about issues that directly affect day-to-day life.

Anyone aged 16 years old or over on polling day and resident in Scotland can vote at this election.

The Scottish Parliament election will take place across Scotland on Thursday, 7 May, and the deadline to register to vote is midnight on Monday, 20 April.

Voters can apply online at gov.uk/register-to-vote and it takes just five minutes.

Once registered, voters have a range of options – voting in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote on their behalf, known as a proxy vote. Voters in Scotland will not need to show photo ID to vote in this election.

The deadline to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on 21 April, and the deadline to apply for a proxy vote is 5pm on 28 April.

Information about registering to vote and all of the voting options can be found on the Electoral Commission’s website. Anyone wanting further information, or to check whether they are registered to vote, can also contact the Electoral Registration Office on 0800 030 4333.