Here's all you need to know about Scottish Parliament elections in Falkirk
Voters go to the polls tomorrow (Thursday) to decide who will go to Holyrood and be their next MSP.
The results of the Scottish Parliament elections will be announced on Friday after the traditional overnight counting of votes was stopped.
Instead dozens of counting staff will be sifting through ballot papers in Grangemouth Sports Complex as candidates and their supporters anxiously wait on the sidelines.
The Falkirk West constituency has half a dozen names on the ballot paper: Neil Benny (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party); Gary Bouse (Scottish National Party); Richard Fairley (Reform UK); Paul Godzik (Scottish Labour Party); Stuart McArthur (Independent); and Lucy Smith (Scottish Liberal Democrats).
It is anticipated the successful candidate will announced by the returning officer, Falkirk Council chief executive Kenneth Lawrie, around 4pm.
In the Falkirk East & Linlithgow constituency there are also six candidates: Amanda Bland (Reform UK); Martyn Day (Scottish National Party): Ian El-Paget (Independent); Paul McGarry (Scottish Liberal Democrats); Siobhan Paterson (Scottish Labour); and Lewis Stein (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party).
The result of this vote is expected at around 4.30pm.
There are 64 polling places across Falkirk West district and 66 in Falkirk East & Linlithgow – several of these are new venues so voters are reminded to check their voting cards.
The election has forced the closure of a couple of sports facilities.
Some areas of Grangemouth Sports Complex will be temporarily closed between today (Wednesday) and Saturday, May 9 while votes are counted.
The games hall will be closed from 6pm on Wednesday and the gym and studios will be closed from 8pm on Thursday.
Council leisure officials expect the facilities to reopen from 8am on Saturday, May 9 but this will be dependent on votes having been counted successfully and the areas cleared.
Health and fitness customers cannot book ahead for classes in the centre either in person or virtual. Instead these will operate on a first-come first-served basis.
The gyms, studios and classes at the Mariner Centre, Stenhousemuir gym and Bo’ness Town Hall will be open as normal. Grangemouth’s swimming pool and all swimming lessons will run as normal throughout the election and counting period. The committee at Polmont Sports Centre have also revealed it will be closed from 7pm today until noon on Friday, May 8 as it is being used as a polling station.
A total of 129 MSPs will be elected. Of that total, 73 represent local constituencies.
The rest of the MSPs are drawn from eight regions which together cover the whole of Scotland. Each region elects seven MSPs.
Voters select from a party or independent candidate to represent their region, marking one cross on the peach regional ballot paper.
MSPs are chosen for the Scottish Parliament using an electoral system called Additional Member System (AMS), a form of proportional representation.
The number of constituency MSPs elected for each party is counted and compared to the proportion of votes each party received in each region.
Additional MSPs are elected from each political party's regional list. The number of additional MSPs is used to reflect the proportion of votes each party received in the second ballot.
There were three Labour, three Conservative and one Green regional MSPs elected for Central Scotland in 2021.
In the new Central Scotland and Lothians West region there are 16 parties listed for 2026: Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party; Advance UK; Alliance to Liberate Scotland; Independence for Scotland Party; Independent Green Voice; Reform UK: Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party; Scottish Family Party; Scottish Green Party; Scottish Labour Party; Scottish Liberal Democrats; Scottish Libertarian Party; Scottish National Party (SNP); Scottish Socialist Party; UKIP; and Workers Party – Scotland.