Nominations open today (Friday 6 December) for candidates to stand in the forthcoming Colinton/Fairmilehead by-election.

The by-election is being held following the resignations of Councillor Marco Biagi and Councillor Louise Spence in November 2024.On Thursday 23 January 2025, Colinton/Fairmilehead residents will go to the polls to elect two new councillors to represent the ward which also includes Bonaly, Dreghorn, Oxgangs and Swanston.

The current electorate is 19,907 and turnout at the most recent by-election was 37.4%.

A Formal Notice of Election was also published today explaining how to stand as a candidate, who is eligible to vote and how to make sure you are on the Electoral Register.

Voters have a range of options for casting their ballot – in person, by post or by appointing someone they trust to vote in their place, known as a proxy vote.

In order to stand as a candidate, individuals must submit nomination papers, which are available on the Council website, by 4pm on Tuesday 17 December.

Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said:
The Notice of Election signifies the official start of the election period for the Colinton/Fairmilehead ward. I would urge all residents in the ward to make sure they are registered and have their details or preference of how they would like to vote up to date in plenty of time.

Anyone unsure about how to register, where to vote or how to vote by post can find more information on the Council website.

Polling stations will be open from 7am to 10pm on 23 January 2025. Details of these will be announced in due course.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system where voters can rank candidates in order of preference rather than using a single cross. Voters can give a rank to as many or as few candidates as they like.

People aged 16 and over and all those legally resident – including foreign citizens – can register to vote in this election. Find out more about elections in Edinburgh and how to register to vote on the Council website.

The deadline to register to vote is Tuesday 7 January 2025, to apply for a postal vote the deadline is Wednesday 8 January 2025, and for a proxy vote the deadline is Wednesday 15 January 2025.