Scottish elections 2026: Falkirk electorate has days left to decide who gets their vote
Voters have only days left to decide who will get their backing to head to Holyrood to represent them for the next five years.
The Scottish parliament elections take place on Thursday, May 7 and the candidates are in the final straight to convince the electorate to vote for them.
If the polls are to be believed the SNP look likely to be returned for a fifth consecutive term in government.
But there are also signs of voters disillusionment with politics, which could lead to a low turnout.
Across Falkirk district, all the main political parties and independent candidates are making a final push to secure votes.
In both Falkirk West and Falkirk East & Linlithgow voters will have a choice of six candidates on the lilac constituency ballot paper.
For both areas, there is no former MSP standing, but there are several with political experience having previously been elected as councillors and even a former MP.
In Falkirk West, the SNP’s Gary Bouse, currently a Falkirk councillor, will be hoping to retain the seat held by his party’s Michael Matheson for the last 19 years.
However, five others will be hoping to change that.
He faces Stirling councillor Neil Benny (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party) who stood in Falkirk East in 2021 and came third; Richard Fairley (Reform UK); Paul Godzik (Scottish Labour Party); Stuart McArthur (Independent); and Lucy Smith (Scottish Liberal Democrats).
The SNP have another experienced candidate standing in Falkirk East & Linlithgow in Martyn Day, a former MP and West Lothian councillor. The SNP’s Michelle Thomson, who was elected in 2021, is one of 42 MSPs who have chosen to stand down.
Falkirk councillor Siobhan Paterson is campaigning to win the seat for Scottish Labour, as are: Amanda Bland (Reform UK); Ian El-Paget (Independent); Paul McGarry (Scottish Liberal Democrats); and Lewis Stein (Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party).
Polling stations will be open from 7am and close at 10pm on May 7.
There will be 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.
Postal voters must ensure that they return their ballot paper and postal voting statement to arrive by 10pm on May 7. The postal ballot pack can also be returned to your polling station on polling day by 10pm.
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.