Scotland's largest trade union has expressed concerns over the safety, accessibility and fairness of the planned Holyrood elections in May this year.
In a letter to Scottish Cabinet Secretary for Communities and Local Government Aileen Campbell, UNISON has questioned the "democratic legitimacy" of the Holyrood elections and local by-elections if they go ahead.
The union highlighted "the number of significant public health issues" to consider before proceeding, namely the level four restrictions imposed to mitigate the impacts of the coronavirus pandemic.
In their letter to Ms Campbell, the union expressed “serious concerns regarding the conduct of these elections given the impact of Covid restrictions and the safety of UNISON members who would be expected to facilitate them.”
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These concerns include uncertainty regarding the adequate reduction of transmission rates by May 2021, as well as public buildings lacking the space required for social distancing, the necessity for polling stations and touch points to receive regular deep cleaning, and many old buildings having inadequate ventilation.
They add that many venues used as polling stations are currently in use as learning hubs for children of key workers, or have been repurposed as vaccination centres.
Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland’s head of local government, said: "The pandemic continues to present significant health and safety risks and we are concerned that it will be impossible to mitigate against all of these risks if in-person voting proceeds on 6th May as planned.
"Many polling stations will be unsuitable for the sort of adaptations that will be required to keep our members and voters safe.
"Many older buildings that are used as polling stations simply do not have the space required to maintain social distancing, which will result in either a restriction on the number of electors the station can accommodate at any one time and significant queues outside the polling station, and many of them do not have the ventilation required to allow fresh air to circulate.
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"Many polling and counting stations have already been re-purposed as vaccination centres rendering them unavailable for use. All of this will require significant additional resources for local authorities, and all have the potential to impact voter turnout."
UNISON are calling on the Scottish government to carry out risk assessments, ensure necessary mitigations are put in place, and for the Scottish Government to commit to meeting the additional costs.
Mark Ferguson, chair of UNISON Scotland’s local government committee, said: "The majority of local government workers involved in the conduct of elections do so on a voluntary basis – as their representatives we will have to consider carefully the advice we give to our members about their involvement in these elections should the concerns noted in our letter to the Cabinet Secretary remain unanswered."
A Scottish Government spokesperson said: “The safety of staff, voters, candidates and campaigners during this year’s Scottish Parliament election is absolutely paramount.
“The Scottish Budget, announced yesterday, includes £34.9 million to support Returning Officers in the safe running of the poll on 6 May.
“This includes an extra £14 million compared to the 2016 election for the expected increase in costs of postal voting and enhanced hygiene and physical distancing measures at polling stations and count centres.”
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