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How To Vote: Rutherglen & Hamilton West Guide

All the information you need to vote in the Rutherglen & Hamilton West By-Election on October 5th, 2023

People in Rutherglen and Hamilton West will vote for their next Member of Parliament on Thurday, October 5. We have all the information you need before you head out to vote.

When can I vote?

Polling stations in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West By-Election open at 7am and will close at 10pm.


If you are a postal voter, your ballot paper should have arrived. If you have not received a postal vote by the day of the election you can still vote at a polling station or contact South Lanarkshire Council for advice.

Where can I vote?

Your poll card contains information to the polling station. If you are unsure of your local polling station you can use your postcode to search on the South Lanarkshire Council Website.

How do I vote?

When you arrive at the polling station staff will ask for your name, address, and identification. You will then be given a ballot paper containing a list of candidates who you can vote for.

This is the first election in Scotland where photo identification is required, this is following legislation passed by the Conservatives at Westminster which disenfranchises young people and those on lower incomes. The Scottish Greens have raised concerns about the requirement for Voter ID as it will limit those who are able to vote.

A full list of accepted photographic identification is available below:

  • a UK or Northern Ireland photocard driving licence (full or provisional)
  • a driving licence issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein, the Isle of Man or any of the Channel Islands*
  • a UK passport
  • a passport issued by an EU country, Norway, Iceland, Liechtenstein or a Commonwealth country*
  • a PASS card (National Proof of Age Standards Scheme)
  • a Blue Badge
  • a biometric residence permit (BRP)*
  • a Defence Identity Card (MOD form 90)
  • a national identity card issued by the EU, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein*
  • a Northern Ireland Electoral Identity Card
  • a Voter Authority Certificate
  • an Anonymous Elector’s Document

*to vote in Westminster By-Elections you must be a citizen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.

In this election, you are required to mark the box next to a single candidate's name with a cross (X).

You can only vote for one candidate in this election.

Who is the Scottish Greens candidate?

Cameron Eadie is standing in the Rutherglen & Hamilton West by-election to put take urgent action on the climate emergency. was born in Wishaw, North Lanarkshire and grew up in East Kilbride and Hamilton before studying an MA in Social and Public Policy at the University of Glasgow.

Cameron has previously worked as an intern in a parliamentary office as a health policy researcher and has worked as a support worker for mental health charity the Scottish Association for Mental Health.

His top priorities in this election are:

  • Urgent action climate action.
  • Tackling child poverty.
  • Independence in the EU.

On October 5th, a vote for Cameron Eadie is a vote for a fairer, greener Scotland.

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