Notice of Election published for Highland Council By-election - Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton

14th May 2026

A vacancy has arisen for the election of a Councillor to represent Ward 4 East Sutherland and Edderton following the resignation of Jim McGillivray.

Ward 4 is a 3-member ward. The other members are Councillors Richard Gale and Leslie-Anne Niven.

The Returning Officer, Derek Brown said: “This is an opportunity to join The Highland Council to represent the East Sutherland and Edderton Ward, so I encourage anyone interested to put themselves forward.”

Candidate nomination forms for this by-election can be downloaded from highland.gov.uk/byelection or by contacting the Election Office by email election@highland.gov.uk or phone on 01349 886657.

Completed nomination papers must be delivered by hand to the Returning Officer by prior appointment between the hours of 10am and 4pm on any working day (excluding Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays) before 4pm on Thursday 21 May 2026 at the following Highland Council location:

Highland Council Headquarters, Meeting Room 2, Glenurquhart Road, Inverness IV3 5NX
Before the original documents are officially lodged by hand, candidates are encouraged to scan and email their forms to election@highland.gov.uk for an informal check.

If the seat is contested, voting will take place on Thursday 25 June 2026 with the electronic count taking place on Friday 26 June 2026.

Anyone over 16 years old who is living in Ward 4 will be eligible to vote in this by-election if they are registered. To register to vote visit gov.uk/register-to-vote. Alternatively, call the Electoral Registration Office on 0800 393783 to request a paper application form. The last date to register to vote is midnight on Monday 8 June 2026.

Voters in the East Sutherland and Edderton Ward will be able to cast their vote in person on the day by visiting their designated polling station, or they can apply for either a postal vote or to vote by proxy. Some voters may find it more convenient to use a postal vote rather than travelling to a polling station.

The latest time to apply for a postal vote is 5pm on Tuesday 9 June 2026 and the deadline for anyone wishing to appoint a proxy, which is someone to vote on their behalf, is 5pm on Wednesday 17 June 2026.

Advice on postal and proxy voting is available by contacting the Electoral Registration Office on 0800 393783.