Elections and Hustings
![Scottish Parliament](https://churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/image/0003/83883/scottish-parliament.jpg)
General Election 4th July 2024 – How Churches can get involved
Churches do not endorse or support individual candidates or parties, but as part of our commitment to the common good many congregations and Christian organisations support participation in democratic activity, including discussion and debate, the sharing of ideas and opinions, building relationships with candidates and elected politicians, voting, and praying for all those involved and affected by political decisions.
In the run-up to UK Parliament and Scottish Parliament elections, we will produce additional resources for congregations to assist in their thinking about politics and participation in the democratic process.
A UK Parliamentary General Election has been called for Thursday 4 July 2024.
The next elections for the Scottish Parliament are scheduled to take place on Thursday 7 May 2026.
How and why should Churches get involved?
![people voting](https://churchofscotland.org.uk/__data/assets/image/0005/118958/Voter-Registration-Week.jpg)
Emma Jackson, convener of the Public Life and Social Justice Group of the Church of Scotland, encourages all of us to consider the importance of voting, not only for ourselves but for our neighbours too, she says:
"At its heart, politics is all about improving the structures and systems of our society…That is something that we should all benefit from, that our neighbour should benefit from – our neighbour who might be in more complex or more challenging circumstances than those we find ourselves in."
"In a just and compassionate society, exercising our right to vote in one of key ways in which we can not only participate in democracy, but demonstrate our love for our neighbour as we engage in the issues that affect us all and we seek to hold our leaders to account."
There are two key areas for churches in for this election:
- Helping people with the practicalities of accessing their right to vote through ensuring people are registered and have the necessary voter ID.
- Helping people engage with their candidates and the issues being debated in the election campaigns.
Information on how churches can help their congregations prepare for the General Election
The key issues are outlined below. You can download a more detailed Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office Briefing including deadlines for registering, what to do if you’re away from home on the election day, who is eligible to vote etc.
Voter registration
Voter Registration - organising an “Election Ready Sunday” before 18th June.
The Church of Scotland is encouraging congregations to promote voter registration and awareness of new rules about bringing photo-ID when you come to vote. Please see our downloadable information on how organise an “Election Ready Sunday” event, as part of the Voter Registration Champion initiative.
Register
If you need to register to vote – do so by 18 June
Photo-ID
The new photo-ID requirements mean you’ll need eligible ID when you vote. This is the first election in Scotland where photo-ID is mandatory. If you don’t have an accepted form of ID you must apply for a Voter Authority Certificate – by 26 June.
School holidays
Thursday 4 July is in the first full week of the school holidays for many areas of Scotland.
If you are going to be away from home it is important that you apply for a postal vote (by 19 June) or a proxy vote (deadline 26 June).
Engage with candidates and issues
Churches’ Hustings
Local churches have been organising hustings – election meetings – to allow the public to meet candidates and ask questions for many years.
Churches are often seen as politically neutral but committed to the wellbeing of society. They can provide a safe space for debate, and even secular politicians tend to be well-behaved and respectful when debating inside a church building!
We have worked with UK Church partners to produce hustings guidance for congregations in relation to the upcoming UK Parliament election.
If you have questions or would like some advice, or if you have organised your own hustings – we would love to hear from you! Please contact the Church’s Parliamentary Officer, David Bradwell dbradwell@churchofscotland.org.uk
Key topics
- Act on Poverty
Christian Aid have worked with UK Church partners to produce Act on Poverty, a new resource to help Christians gain a deeper understanding of poverty and to get equipped to talk to political representatives about it.
- Love-Pray-Vote
Our partners in the Joint Public Issues Team (Methodist, Baptist and United Reformed Churches) have published a Love-Pray-Vote Issues Briefing which sets out some of the key issues at stake and suggestions of questions for candidates.
Additional resources are hosted by Churches Together in Britain and Ireland at Churches together in Britain and Ireland.
Churches Together in Britain and Ireland’s Lent 2024 reflections were on A Message of Hope, Overcoming Polarisation, a Vision for the Common Good, The Politics of Peace and more.
The Church of England have produced Pray your Part, an invitation to encourage prayer and participation in the life of our nation and communities, both as voters and citizens. The 21-day journey of prayer and reflection from Friday 14 June to election day, Thursday 4 July, highlights a daily Bible reading, reflection and prayer.
Resources - General Election Briefings
Church leaders have teamed up to produce prayers aimed at encouraging Christians in Scotland to engage actively, constructively, and charitably in the democratic process of the General Election.
Scottish Churches Parliamentary Office is administered by the Church of Scotland, Scottish Charity Number SC011353