Turnout at Scottish council elections rises by 8%

Fewer than 50% of registered voters in Scotland either made it to a polling station or sent a postal vote in last week's local authority elections. Picture: Robert Perry/TSPL

The increase was welcomed by the Electoral Reform Society, but campaigners warned that local democracy was “not out of the danger zone” as 2.3 million Scots still failed to cast their vote and thousands more remain unregistered.

Turnout was highest in East Renfrewshire, where it reached 58%, but Glasgow remained bottom of the table for a second successive local authority election, with just 39% of registered voters either making it to polling stations or submitting a postal vote.

Turnout in Edinburgh was 50% and in Dundee 42%.

Only nine of 32 local authority areas saw a turnout of 50% or above.

“Scottish turnout is projected to be significantly higher than in England and Wales –where they don’t have the benefit of most wards being hotly contested due to our proportional system,” said Willie Sullivan, director of the Electoral Reform Society in Scotland.

“But while the slight lift on 2012 turnout should be welcomed, that was a bottom of the barrel election as far as turnout goes – the lowest since the 1970s.

“So unfortunately there is little to cheer about this time, given that the majority of the public chose to stay at home.

“With 2.3 million Scots not taking part and many hundreds of thousands not registered, local democracy is not out of the danger zone – these levels of engagement are warning signs that show our democracy still needs intensive care.

“And while at least we don’t have the vote-wasting machine of First Past the Post used in English local government, the lack of truly local government in Scotland makes it difficult for people to feel they have any real say in running their own towns, villages and communities.

Turnout by local authority area

Aberdeen: 44%

Aberdeenshire: 46%

Angus: 46%

Argyll & Bute: 49%

Clackmannanshire: 46%

Comhairle Nan Eilean Siar: 56%

Dumfries and Galloway: 49%

Dundee: 42%

East Ayrshire: 45%

East Dunbartonshire:

East Lothian: 56%

East Renfrewshire: 58%

Edinburgh: 50%

Falkirk: 45%

Fife: 46%

Glasgow: 39%

Highland: 50%

Inverclyde: 49%

Midlothian: 47%

Moray: 46%

North Ayrshire: 45%

North Lanarkshire: 44%

Orkney: 43%

Perth & Kinross: 54%

Renfrewshire: 48%

Scottish Borders: 52%

Shetland: 41%

South Ayrshire: 52%

South Lanarkshire: 47%

Stirling: 53%

West Dunbartonshire: 46%

West Lothian: 46%