Overview of the D’Hondt System
The Scottish Parliament uses the D’Hondt system to allocate the 56 regional list seats. These seats help balance the 73 constituency seats, which are elected by First Past the Post. The goal is to make the overall result more proportional.
How D’Hondt Works
Each party in a region receives a score called a quotient. The formula is:
\[ \text{Quotient} = \frac{\text{Regional list votes}} {\text{Constituency seats already won} + \text{List seats already won} + 1} \]
In each round:
- All parties’ quotients are calculated
- The party with the highest quotient wins the next list seat
- Their divisor increases by 1
- The process repeats until all 7 regional seats are allocated
D’Hondt System – Highlands & Islands (2021)
Highlands & Islands – FPTP Constituency Candidate Vote Totals (2021)
Every candidate and their vote total for all eight constituencies in the Highlands & Islands region. These are the official certified results from the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
| Constituency | Candidate | Party | Votes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Argyll & Bute | Jenni Minto | SNP | 15,705 |
| Donald Cameron | Conservative | 12,713 | |
| Alan Reid | Liberal Democrat | 4,398 | |
| Raymond McCusker | Labour | 3,292 | |
| Ariane Burgess | Green | 2,028 | |
| Caithness, Sutherland & Ross | Maree Todd | SNP | 18,045 |
| Molly Nolan | Liberal Democrat | 12,425 | |
| Struan Mackie | Conservative | 7,042 | |
| John Erskine | Labour | 5,382 | |
| Anne Thomas | Green | 2,207 | |
| Inverness & Nairn | Fergus Ewing | SNP | 18,381 |
| Edward Mountain | Conservative | 12,889 | |
| Bruce Thompson | Liberal Democrat | 4,895 | |
| Michael Perera | Labour | 4,483 | |
| Ariane Burgess | Green | 2,319 | |
| Moray | Richard Lochhead | SNP | 17,398 |
| Tim Eagle | Conservative | 16,178 | |
| Jo Kirby | Labour | 3,637 | |
| Neil Alexander | Liberal Democrat | 2,928 | |
| James MacKessack-Leitch | Green | 1,846 | |
| Na h‑Eileanan an Iar | Alasdair Allan | SNP | 7,454 |
| Rhoda Grant | Labour | 3,863 | |
| Gavin MacLeod | Conservative | 1,971 | |
| Donald Crichton | Liberal Democrat | 1,219 | |
| Orkney | Liam McArthur | Liberal Democrat | 7,454 |
| Robert Leslie | SNP | 4,192 | |
| James Stockan | Conservative | 2,879 | |
| Coilla Drake | Labour | 1,402 | |
| Shetland | Beatrice Wishart | Liberal Democrat | 6,739 |
| Tom Wills | SNP | 4,731 | |
| Bryan Peterson | Conservative | 2,502 | |
| Martin Kerr | Labour | 1,276 | |
| Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch | Kate Forbes | SNP | 19,961 |
| Ruraidh Stewart | Conservative | 9,672 | |
| Denis Rixson | Liberal Democrat | 4,496 | |
| John Erskine | Labour | 4,073 | |
| Ariane Burgess | Green | 2,336 |
The constituency first past the post vote resulted in 6 seats for the SNP and 2 for the Liberal Democrats.
Highlands & Islands 2021 – Regional List Votes (All Participants)
Every party and independent candidate on the Highlands & Islands regional list ballot in 2021 is included in this table.
| Party / Candidate | List votes |
|---|---|
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | 96,433 |
| Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party | 60,779 |
| Scottish Liberal Democrats | 26,771 |
| Scottish Labour Party | 22,713 |
| Scottish Green Party | 17,729 |
| Alba Party | 3,828 |
| Andy Wightman (Independent) | 3,367 |
| Scottish Family Party | 1,976 |
| All for Unity | 1,540 |
| Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party | 686 |
| Freedom Alliance | 671 |
| Reform UK | 547 |
| Scottish Libertarian Party | 488 |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 457 |
| Restore Scotland | 437 |
| Hazel Mansfield (Independent) | 219 |
| Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 280 |
Highlands & Islands (2021)
Summary top 5 highest scoring parties
Regional List Votes
| Party | Votes |
|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 |
| Labour | 22,713 |
| Greens | 17,729 |
Constituency Seats
- SNP: 6
- Conservatives: 0
- Liberal Democrats: 2
- Labour: 0
- Greens: 0
Starting divisors:
| Party | Constituency seats | Starting divisor |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 6 | 6 + 0 + 1 = 7 |
| Conservatives | 0 | 0 + 0 + 1 = 1 |
| Liberal Democrats | 2 | 2 + 0 + 1 = 3 |
| Labour | 0 | 0 + 0 + 1 = 1 |
| Greens | 0 | 0 + 0 + 1 = 1 |
Round-by-round D’Hondt calculation
There are 7 regional seats to allocate. In each round we compute the quotient for each party and award the seat to the highest value.
Highlands & Islands 2021 – D’Hondt Round 1 (All Parties)
Every party and independent on the regional ballot is included in the D’Hondt calculation. This table shows Round 1 with all quotients.
| Party / Candidate | List votes | Divisor (seats + 1) |
Round 1 quotient |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party | 60,779 | 1 | 60,779 |
| Scottish National Party (SNP) | 96,433 | 7 | 13,776 |
| Scottish Labour Party | 22,713 | 1 | 22,713 |
| Scottish Liberal Democrats | 26,771 | 3 | 8,924 |
| Scottish Green Party | 17,729 | 1 | 17,729 |
| Alba Party | 3,828 | 1 | 3,828 |
| Andy Wightman (Independent) | 3,367 | 1 | 3,367 |
| Scottish Family Party | 1,976 | 1 | 1,976 |
| All for Unity | 1,540 | 1 | 1,540 |
| Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party | 686 | 1 | 686 |
| Freedom Alliance | 671 | 1 | 671 |
| Reform UK | 547 | 1 | 547 |
| Scottish Libertarian Party | 488 | 1 | 488 |
| UK Independence Party (UKIP) | 457 | 1 | 457 |
| Restore Scotland | 437 | 1 | 437 |
| Hazel Mansfield (Independent) | 219 | 1 | 219 |
| Scottish Trade Unionist and Socialist Coalition | 280 | 1 | 280 |
Highest quotient: Conservatives → Seat 1.
Round 2
Conservatives now have 1 list seat, so their divisor becomes 2.
| Party | Calculation | Quotient |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 ÷ 7 | ≈ 13,776 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 ÷ 2 | ≈ 30,390 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 ÷ 3 | ≈ 8,924 |
| Labour | 22,713 ÷ 1 | 22,713 |
| Greens | 17,729 ÷ 1 | 17,729 |
Highest quotient: Conservatives → Seat 2.
Round 3
Conservatives now have 2 list seats, so their divisor becomes 3.
| Party | Calculation | Quotient |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 ÷ 7 | ≈ 13,776 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 ÷ 3 | ≈ 20,260 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 ÷ 3 | ≈ 8,924 |
| Labour | 22,713 ÷ 1 | 22,713 |
| Greens | 17,729 ÷ 1 | 17,729 |
Highest quotient: Labour → Seat 3.
Round 4
Labour now have 1 list seat, so their divisor becomes 2.
| Party | Calculation | Quotient |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 ÷ 7 | ≈ 13,776 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 ÷ 3 | ≈ 20,260 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 ÷ 3 | ≈ 8,924 |
| Labour | 22,713 ÷ 2 | ≈ 11,357 |
| Greens | 17,729 ÷ 1 | 17,729 |
Highest quotient: Conservatives → Seat 4.
Round 5
Conservatives now have 3 list seats, so their divisor becomes 4.
| Party | Calculation | Quotient |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 ÷ 7 | ≈ 13,776 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 ÷ 4 | ≈ 15,195 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 ÷ 3 | ≈ 8,924 |
| Labour | 22,713 ÷ 2 | ≈ 11,357 |
| Greens | 17,729 ÷ 1 | 17,729 |
Highest quotient: Greens → Seat 5.
Round 6
Greens now have 1 list seat, so their divisor becomes 2.
| Party | Calculation | Quotient |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 ÷ 7 | ≈ 13,776 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 ÷ 4 | ≈ 15,195 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 ÷ 3 | ≈ 8,924 |
| Labour | 22,713 ÷ 2 | ≈ 11,357 |
| Greens | 17,729 ÷ 2 | ≈ 8,865 |
Highest quotient: Conservatives → Seat 6.
Round 7
Conservatives now have 4 list seats, so their divisor becomes 5.
| Party | Calculation | Quotient |
|---|---|---|
| SNP | 96,433 ÷ 7 | ≈ 13,776 |
| Conservatives | 60,779 ÷ 5 | ≈ 12,156 |
| Liberal Democrats | 26,771 ÷ 3 | ≈ 8,924 |
| Labour | 22,713 ÷ 2 | ≈ 11,357 |
| Greens | 17,729 ÷ 2 | ≈ 8,865 |
Highest quotient: SNP → Seat 7.
Every Quotient in Every Round
This table shows the full D’Hondt calculation for all 7 regional seats.
| Round | SNP | Con | Lab | Lib Dem | Green | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 13,776 | 60,779 | 22,713 | 8,924 | 17,729 | Con |
| 2 | 13,776 | 30,390 | 22,713 | 8,924 | 17,729 | Con |
| 3 | 13,776 | 20,260 | 22,713 | 8,924 | 17,729 | Lab |
| 4 | 13,776 | 20,260 | 11,357 | 8,924 | 17,729 | Con |
| 5 | 13,776 | 15,195 | 11,357 | 8,924 | 17,729 | Green |
| 6 | 13,776 | 15,195 | 11,357 | 8,924 | 8,865 | Con |
| 7 | 13,776 | 12,156 | 11,357 | 8,924 | 8,865 | SNP |
Scottish Parliament Constituencies & Regions
All 73 constituencies and all 8 electoral regions of the Scottish Parliament, in two formats:
- Constituencies alphabetically, with their region
- Regions alphabetically, with their constituencies
Constituencies Alphabetically (with Region)
| Constituency | Region |
|---|---|
| Aberdeen Central | North East Scotland |
| Aberdeen Donside | North East Scotland |
| Aberdeen South & North Kincardine | North East Scotland |
| Aberdeenshire East | North East Scotland |
| Aberdeenshire West | North East Scotland |
| Airdrie & Shotts | Central Scotland |
| Almond Valley | Lothian |
| Angus North & Mearns | North East Scotland |
| Angus South | North East Scotland |
| Argyll & Bute | Highlands & Islands |
| Ayr | South Scotland |
| Banffshire & Buchan Coast | North East Scotland |
| Caithness, Sutherland & Ross | Highlands & Islands |
| Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley | South Scotland |
| Clackmannanshire & Dunblane | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Clydebank & Milngavie | West Scotland |
| Clydesdale | South Scotland |
| Coatbridge & Chryston | Central Scotland |
| Cowdenbeath | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Cumbernauld & Kilsyth | Central Scotland |
| Dumbarton | West Scotland |
| Dumfriesshire | South Scotland |
| Dundee City East | North East Scotland |
| Dundee City West | North East Scotland |
| Dunfermline | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| East Kilbride | Central Scotland |
| East Lothian | South Scotland |
| Eastwood | West Scotland |
| Edinburgh Central | Lothian |
| Edinburgh Eastern | Lothian |
| Edinburgh Northern & Leith | Lothian |
| Edinburgh Pentlands | Lothian |
| Edinburgh Southern | Lothian |
| Edinburgh Western | Lothian |
| Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire | South Scotland |
| Falkirk East | Central Scotland |
| Falkirk West | Central Scotland |
| Galloway & West Dumfries | South Scotland |
| Glasgow Anniesland | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Cathcart | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Kelvin | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Maryhill & Springburn | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Pollok | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Provan | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Shettleston | Glasgow |
| Glasgow Southside | Glasgow |
| Greenock & Inverclyde | West Scotland |
| Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse | Central Scotland |
| Inverclyde | West Scotland |
| Inverness & Nairn | Highlands & Islands |
| Kilmarnock & Irvine Valley | South Scotland |
| Kirkcaldy | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Linlithgow | Lothian |
| Mid Fife & Glenrothes | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Midlothian North & Musselburgh | Lothian |
| Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale | South Scotland |
| Moray | Highlands & Islands |
| Motherwell & Wishaw | Central Scotland |
| Na h‑Eileanan an Iar | Highlands & Islands |
| North East Fife | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Orkney | Highlands & Islands |
| Paisley | West Scotland |
| Perthshire North | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Perthshire South & Kinross‑shire | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Renfrewshire North & West | West Scotland |
| Renfrewshire South | West Scotland |
| Rutherglen | Glasgow |
| Shetland | Highlands & Islands |
| Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch | Highlands & Islands |
| Stirling | Mid Scotland & Fife |
| Strathkelvin & Bearsden | West Scotland |
| Uddingston & Bellshill | Central Scotland |
Scottish Parliament Regions
All 8 electoral regions with their constituencies.
Central Scotland
- Airdrie & Shotts
- Coatbridge & Chryston
- Cumbernauld & Kilsyth
- East Kilbride
- Falkirk East
- Falkirk West
- Hamilton, Larkhall & Stonehouse
- Motherwell & Wishaw
- Uddingston & Bellshill
Glasgow
- Glasgow Anniesland
- Glasgow Cathcart
- Glasgow Kelvin
- Glasgow Maryhill & Springburn
- Glasgow Pollok
- Glasgow Provan
- Glasgow Shettleston
- Glasgow Southside
- Rutherglen
Highlands & Islands
- Argyll & Bute
- Caithness, Sutherland & Ross
- Inverness & Nairn
- Moray
- Na h‑Eileanan an Iar
- Orkney
- Shetland
- Skye, Lochaber & Badenoch
Lothian
- Almond Valley
- Edinburgh Central
- Edinburgh Eastern
- Edinburgh Northern & Leith
- Edinburgh Pentlands
- Edinburgh Southern
- Edinburgh Western
- Linlithgow
- Midlothian North & Musselburgh
Mid Scotland & Fife
- Clackmannanshire & Dunblane
- Cowdenbeath
- Dunfermline
- Kirkcaldy
- Mid Fife & Glenrothes
- North East Fife
- Perthshire North
- Perthshire South & Kinross‑shire
- Stirling
North East Scotland
- Aberdeen Central
- Aberdeen Donside
- Aberdeen South & North Kincardine
- Aberdeenshire East
- Aberdeenshire West
- Angus North & Mearns
- Angus South
- Banffshire & Buchan Coast
- Dundee City East
- Dundee City West
South Scotland
- Ayr
- Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley
- Clydesdale
- Dumfriesshire
- East Lothian
- Ettrick, Roxburgh & Berwickshire
- Galloway & West Dumfries
- Kilmarnock & Irvine Valley
- Midlothian South, Tweeddale & Lauderdale
West Scotland
- Clydebank & Milngavie
- Dumbarton
- Greenock & Inverclyde
- Inverclyde
- Paisley
- Renfrewshire North & West
- Renfrewshire South
- Strathkelvin & Bearsden
- Eastwood
Sources & References
Official data for the Highlands & Islands regional list vote in the 2021 Scottish Parliament Election was obtained from:
This source includes constituency declarations, regional list totals, turnout figures, rejected ballots, and the officially declared results for the Highlands & Islands electoral region.
