My husband and I moved to Scotland just as the Scottish referendum was about to happen. It seemed like everyone was deeply passionate about politics and the way the country should be run. As time went on, and we got settled into our new Scottish home, we hoped this passion would continue and we were curious how Scotland’s ‘no’ vote would affect Scottish voters in the general election.

On polling day we arranged to walk to the polling station together, all the while I tried to find out who my husband would be voting for. It wasn’t until we arrived that we realised he wouldn’t be voting for anyone. Despite receiving a polling card, and being told (when he had phoned to check) that he could vote, my husband wasn’t able to do so as an EU citizen.

It was quite disappointing for us both but it was made worse by not having clear information about who exactly could vote. Since working at Outside the Box I have realised that clear information was available on who could vote, but it seemed that people like my husband and folk working on different stages of the electoral process were not all clear about this.

This May the Scottish council elections will be taking place. Are you able to vote? If you’re not from the UK and aren’t sure, you can check this guide to see if you can. It’s that simple.

This May we will be voting together to make sure we have a say in how our council is run. If you’re able to vote, you should too and make your voice heard. You just need to make sure you are registered before the 17th of April. To register you can click here and do the whole process online, it only takes 5 minutes.