2026 Scottish Parliament election in the context of "Scottish National Party"

As a result of the first periodical review of Scottish Parliament constituencies, new constituencies and additional member regions of the Scottish Parliament were introduced for the 2011 Scottish Parliament election. The D'Hondt method is used, as previously, in the allocation of additional member seats. These boundaries were also used for the 2016 Scottish Parliament election and 2021 Scottish Parliament election; following the Second periodic review of Scottish Parliament boundaries which published its report in 2025, new boundaries will be used for the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.

The Scottish Parliament (Constituencies) Act 2004 required the Boundary Commission for Scotland to review boundaries of all constituencies except Orkney and Shetland (which cover, respectively, the Orkney Islands council area and the Shetland Islands council area) so that the area covered by the reviewed constituencies continues to be covered by a total of 71 constituencies. The Orkney and Shetland constituencies were taken into account, however, in review of boundaries of the additional member regions. The Commission began the review as announced on 3 July 2007, and provisional proposals were published on Thursday 14 February 2008. Final recommendations followed public consultations and a series of local inquiries, and the terms of the 2004 act required final recommendations to be submitted in a report to the Secretary of State for Scotland not later than 30 June 2010.

The Scottish Parliament (Holyrood) has 73 constituencies, each electing one Member of the Scottish Parliament (MSP) by the plurality (first past the post) system of election, and eight additional members regions, each electing seven additional MSPs using the D'Hondt method of allocating from party lists to produce a form of proportional representation. The total number of parliamentary seats is 129. For links to lists of MSPs, see Member of the Scottish Parliament and Scottish Parliament constituencies and electoral regions.

The Scotland Act 1998 as amended by the Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 requires Boundaries Scotland to regularly review boundaries of all constituencies; the Second Periodic Review of constituency and regional boundaries began in September 2022 and was completed by May 2025. The proposals were formally approved in October 2025, establishing the new constituencies and regions that will be first contested at the 2026 Scottish Parliament election.