Question reference: S5W-31681
- Asked by: Daniel Johnson, MSP for Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour
- Date lodged: 9 September 2020
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Current status: Answered by Graeme Dey on 18 September 2020
Question
To ask the Scottish Government what measures are being taken to safeguard the 2021 Scottish Parliament elections from external interference.
Answer
Returning Officers have a responsibility for protecting the integrity of electoral processes and the Electoral Commission regulates campaign materials. Police Scotland also have a role in safeguarding elections. To assist with this we intend to legislate to introduce digital imprints to ensure that all online materials can be traced to source in time for the 2021 Scottish Parliament election.
Foreign interference in elections is a matter of national security, which is a reserved subject matter. The Scottish Government takes part in the UK Government Defending Democracy Programme, which aims to protect and secure democratic processes, including cybersecurity and the preparedness of electoral events.