{
  "url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-governance-scotland-act-2004/section-1",
  "json_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-governance-scotland-act-2004/section-1.json",
  "legislation": "asp/2004/9",
  "legislation_title": "Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004",
  "legislation_url": "https://openlegislation.uk/local-governance-scotland-act-2004",
  "path": "section/1",
  "kind": "section",
  "number": "1",
  "heading": "Electoral wards",
  "text": "(1) Each local government area shall be divided into electoral wards; and there shall be a separate election for each electoral ward.\n(2) The number of councillors to be returned in an electoral ward shall be two, three, four or five, as determined by regulations made under section 17 ... of the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973 (c. 65) (“the 1973 Act”) (regulations giving effect to proposals made by Boundaries Scotland after, in particular, complying with the duty in section 28(2), and schedule 6, of the 1973 Act).\n(2A) But, in relation to an electoral ward consisting wholly or partly of one or more inhabited islands (within the meaning of section 1(2) of the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018), regulations made under section 17 of the 1973 Act may determine that the number of councillors to be returned is one.\n(3) Different numbers may be determined in relation to different electoral wards.",
  "extent": "S",
  "status": null,
  "version": "current",
  "annotations": [
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F1",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(2) substituted (14.5.2021) by Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), ss. 4(2)(a), 35; S.S.I. 2021/124, reg. 2, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F2",
      "text": "Word in s. 1(2) substituted (14.5.2021) by Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), ss. 31(8)(a), 35; S.S.I. 2021/124, reg. 2, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F3",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(2) repealed (14.5.2021) by Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), ss. 4(2)(b), 35; S.S.I. 2021/124, reg. 2, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F4",
      "text": "Words in s. 1(2) inserted (14.5.2021) by Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), ss. 4(2)(c), 35; S.S.I. 2021/124, reg. 2, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F5",
      "text": "S. 1(2A) inserted (4.10.2018) by Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 (asp 12), ss. 19, 31(2); S.S.I. 2018/282, reg. 2"
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F6",
      "text": "Word in s. 1(2A) substituted (14.5.2021) by Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), ss. 31(8)(b), 35; S.S.I. 2021/124, reg. 2, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "F",
      "label": "F7",
      "text": "Word in s. 1(2A) substituted (14.5.2021) by Scottish Elections (Reform) Act 2020 (asp 12), ss. 4(3), 35; S.S.I. 2021/124, reg. 2, sch."
    },
    {
      "type": "I",
      "label": "I1",
      "text": "S. 1 in force at 2.5.2007 by S.S.I. 2007/25, art. 2(2)"
    }
  ],
  "outstanding_effects": [],
  "provenance": {
    "source": "legislation.gov.uk",
    "source_url": "https://www.legislation.gov.uk/asp/2004/9/section/1",
    "retrieved_at": "2026-10-29T20:16:34.353208+00:00"
  },
  "licence": "Open Government Licence v3.0",
  "licence_url": "https://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3/",
  "attribution": "Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives."
}