Postal Packs issued for Fort William and Ardnamurchan By-Election

Issued on behalf of the Returning Officer

Postal vote packs for the Ward 21 Fort William and Ardnamurchan by-election have been posted out. The postal packs contain:

•              Envelope A / Postal Voting Statement

•              Ballot paper

•              Return envelope (Envelope B)

•              A guide to completing your postal vote

There is advice and a short video clip explaining how to correctly complete and return your postal ballot on the Council’s website

We are advising postal voters to read the instructions carefully when completing their postal vote statement and we are reminding voters to complete it with their date of birth and signature, which must match to your postal vote application form.  For your ballot paper to count, voters must cast their vote using the method of single transferable vote. 

 With single transferable vote, voters should number the candidates in the order of their choice, putting a number 1 in the box next to the name of the candidate who is their first choice, 2 in the box next to their second choice and so on. Voters can mark as many choices as they wish. Voters are asked to put no other mark on the ballot paper as this could result in their vote not being counted.

The candidates are:

• BAXTER, Andrew Phillip - Scottish Liberal Democrats
• BEHNER-COADY, Marit - Scottish Greens
• CARSTAIRS, Susan - Scottish Labour Party
• FAWCETT, Fiona - Scottish Conservative and Unionist
• LUMB, Nathan - Scottish Libertarian Party
• MACHIN, Rebecca - Scottish National Party (SNP)

Anyone who has requested a postal vote will not be able to vote in person at a polling station. However, it is possible to return your postal pack by hand into a polling station within the ward between the hours of 7am and 10pm on the day of poll - Thursday 21 November - if you are unable to post it in time.  The list of polling stations can be viewed on the council’s website 

If you haven’t received your postal pack on or after Friday 15 November 2024, please telephone 01349 886657 for a replacement pack.

Those voters who will be casting their votes in person at a polling station should have received a poll card that details which polling station they should go to. The Highland Council is asking everyone to check their poll card carefully as their local polling station location may be different to previous elections.

To avoid the closure of primary schools, electors that would usually vote at Lundrava Primary School are being relocated to the main Highland Council Offices at the Charles Kennedy Building and those electors that would normally vote at St Brides Primary School should go to Nether Lochaber Church Hall.  

There is no requirement to bring any form of voter ID with you when you turn up to cast your vote.