There has been much talk over second votes, splitting votes and supermajorities as Scotland heads to the polls.

But what does it all mean and how does Scotland actually elect a parliament? 

Here's a look at Scotland's voting system and how it differs from a Westminster election?

Scottish Elections: The voting system

Scotland is divided into 73 constituencies and each constituency elects one MSP. The way that this MSP is elected is the exact same method as elections in Westminster - using First Past The Post (FPTP). Simply put, the MSP with the most votes is elected, in exactly the same way as MPs are elected to Westminster.

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However, Scotland has two votes - but the constituency vote is known as the elector's 'first vote'. One of the main issues with the Westminster system and First Past The Past is that it is not proportional. In theory, the combined vote against the winner is often more than voted for the winner, and Scotland's voting system attempts to tackle this by bringing in a second vote. 

The Second Vote 

The Additional Member System (AMS), based on the German mixed-member proportional (MMP) system, is used in Scotland and is significantly more proportional than FPTP. Such an election system is known as a hybrid electoral system. AMS means that the overall number of MSPs elected for each party is roughly proportional to their electoral support. This system is used to elect the 56 additional members. 

The 'second vote' is used to elect 56 additional members that will complete the political landscape of Holyrood. Scotland is divided into 8 parliamentary regions and each region elects 7 regional MSPs. In the second vote the voter votes for a party rather than a candidate. The parties are then allocated a number of additional members to make the overall result more proportional.

The regional MSPs are selected from lists compiled by the parties. 

There are eight electoral regions, each with seven regional MSPs. These are:

  • Central Scotland
  • Glasgow
  • Highlands and Islands
  • Lothian
  • Mid-Scotland and Fife
  • Northeast Scotland
  • South Scotland
  • West Scotland

In the second vote the voter votes for a party rather than a candidate. The parties are then allocated a number of additional members to make the overall result more proportional. The regional MSPs are selected from lists compiled by the parties. 

Is the Scottish system more proportional than Westminster?

AMS is not entirely proportional but does return more accurate results than a system such as FPTP. In  2016 for example the SNP polled around 44% of the vote over both ballots but returned 49% of the MSPs.

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However, the system was introduced in an attempt to make it more difficult for parties to have an overall majority and to encourage parties working together in coalition or ‘king-maker’ governments.