How are MSPs elected to the Scottish Parliament?
How does additional member system work?
Watch this video to learn how MSPs are elected using an electoral system called the Additional Member System or AMS.
What is the Additional Member System?
MSPs are elected to the Scottish Parliament every four or five years (this varies to avoid a clash with Westminster elections). The electoral system used to choose MSPs is known as the Additional Member System (AMS).
For the purposes of this election, Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies. Each constituency elects one MSP but there are also an additional 56 regional or list MSPs making 129 MSPs in total.
The last election to the Scottish Parliament was in 2021. The outcome of this election was that the SNP were the largest party and formed a minority government. The next Scottish Parliament election is due to take place on 7th May 2026.
How is Scotland represented at Westminster?
As well as appointing 129 MSPs to the Scottish Parliament, Scotland is also represented at the UK Parliament in Westminster through 57 Scottish MPs. The table below shows how many of these represent different political parties.
| Political party | Number of MPs |
| SNP | 9 |
| Conservative | 5 |
| Liberal Democrat | 6 |
| Labour | 37 |
| Political party | SNP |
|---|---|
| Number of MPs | 9 |
| Political party | Conservative |
|---|---|
| Number of MPs | 5 |
| Political party | Liberal Democrat |
|---|---|
| Number of MPs | 6 |
| Political party | Labour |
|---|---|
| Number of MPs | 37 |