A by-election is being held in the Southside/Newington ward on 3 September.
The position on The City of Edinburgh Council has been created by former Councillor Simita Kumar resigning on her election to The Scottish Parliament. Ms Kumar is now a minister in John Swinney’s cabinet.
Returning Officer for the City of Edinburgh, Paul Lawrence said: “With nominations now closed and just over a month to go until polling day, residents in these wards can start thinking about who they will vote for.
“Councillors play a key role in our democratic system, making crucial decisions that impact our city.
“I’d encourage everyone who is eligible to register to vote in plenty of time, and then make their voices heard in September.”
Poll cards will be delivered to registered voters in the area now with further information on when and where people can vote.
If you live in this ward, the deadline to register to vote in the by-election is 18 August. For new postal vote applications, it will be 19 August and for new proxy votes it is 26 August. Find out more about registering to vote on the Council website.
The election will use the Single Transferable Vote (STV) system, in which voters rank candidates in order of preference, rather than using a single cross. Voters can rank as many or as few candidates as they like.
Polling places will be open from 7am to 10pm on Thursday 3 September.
Please check your polling place as this may have changed since the last time you voted. If you bring your polling card to vote this will help council officers and others who staff the polling stations and speed up the process, but it is not mandatory.
Polling Places (Ward 15):
- Nelson Hall Community Centre (New for 2026)
- Blackford and Grange Parish Church Centre
- St. Catherine’s Argyle Church
- Newington Trinity Church
- Reid Memorial Church Hall
- 75th Braid Scouts’ Millar Hall
- Cameron House Community Education Centre
The candidates standing for election in the Southside/Newington ward are:
- Ruth Elliot: SCOTTISH LABOUR PARTY
- Derrick Emms: EDINBURGH & EAST LOTHIAN PEOPLE
- Isabella Gastel Alejandre: SCOTTISH GREENS
- Roisin Keirdashian: INDEPENDENT
- Artie Khovanov: SCOTTISH LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
- Nick Layden: SCOTTISH CONSERVATIVE AND UNIONIST
- Richard Crewe Lucas: SCOTTISH FAMILY PARTY – CHRISTIAN VALUES
- Sam Alexander Mackenzie: SCOTTISH NATIONAL PARTY (SNP)
- Sean McGregor Moffat: ALLIANCE FOR DEMOCRACY AND FREEDOM
- Gary Neill: REFORM UK
- Markham Rowbotham: EDINBURGH & EAST LOTHIAN PEOPLE
- Richard Shillcock: COMMUNIST PARTY OF BRITAIN
- Marc Wilkinson: EDINBURGH & EAST LOTHIAN PEOPLE
