Scotland has quietly changed the rules on proxy voting for council elections. According to legislation.gov.uk, SSI 2026/251 was made on 2 September 2026, laid before the Scottish Parliament on 4 September and comes into force on 13 November 2026. (legislation.gov.uk) For voters, the changes do two things: widen one emergency proxy route and firm up the timetable for refreshing older proxy signatures. It is dry law on paper, but in practice it is about whether a ballot still gets cast when everyday life cuts across polling day. (legislation.gov.uk)

The new emergency ground covers voters who cannot get to their polling station because they are accompanying another person for medical care or treatment on polling day. That could matter to a son taking his dad to hospital, a neighbour stepping in for an older resident, or anyone else pulled into care at short notice. (legislation.gov.uk) The Scottish Government had already signalled this kind of change in its electoral reform work, saying emergency proxies should be available where accompanying somebody to an unexpected medical appointment prevents a person from voting in the usual way. (gov.scot)

There is a key date to watch. The regulation comes into force in November 2026, but the new medical-companion proxy rule does not apply to any poll held on or before 5 May 2027. (legislation.gov.uk) Because Scottish Parliament research published in July 2026 says the next full local government election is scheduled for 6 May 2027, the change should be in place for those council polls, even though earlier contests miss out. (legislation.gov.uk)

The late application route is not automatic. The voter must explain why the form could not be filed before 5 pm on the sixth day before polling day, and the application has to be signed off by someone aged 16 or over who knows the applicant and is not related to them. (legislation.gov.uk) That attestor must certify the details are true to the best of their knowledge and give their name and address. The regulations also spell out close family relationships that do not qualify for this role. (legislation.gov.uk)

The second change is quieter but still important. Registration officers must now, every year by 31 January, notify proxy voters whose signature on record is more than five years old that they need to provide a fresh one. (legislation.gov.uk) The explanatory note on legislation.gov.uk says the aim is to standardise signature-refresh rules across Scottish Parliament and local government elections. For people who rely on a proxy, that is admin worth taking seriously long before polling day. (legislation.gov.uk)

This SSI sits inside a bigger update to absent voting in Scotland. A separate Order made by Scottish Ministers comes into force on 3 November 2026, and the Electoral Commission says online absent vote applications for Scottish Parliament and Scottish local government elections will open from that date. (legislation.gov.uk) The wider point is hard to miss. These are not flashy Holyrood rows, but they are the rules that decide whether caring responsibilities, old records or a badly timed hospital trip shut someone out of a ballot. Ahead of the 2027 council elections, the sensible move is to check proxy arrangements early. That final point is an inference from the timetable and the new rules. (legislation.gov.uk)