Voters in the Borders – and across Scotland – will receive two ballot papers on May 6.

One will be to select their preferred constituency candidate and the other will be to select regional representatives.

Unlike the constituency vote, whereby the person with the most votes wins, the regional list ballot aims to ensure a level of proportional representation in Holyrood.

Parties win a number of seats comparable to the percentage of the vote they receive.

A total of seven MSPs will be elected in the South of Scotland.

Each party has selected a ranked list of candidates, with those at the top of their party’s list most likely to be elected.

For example, a party which wins three seats on the regional list will see the top three candidates on its list become MSPs.

The regional list candidates for South Scotland released on Thursday, April 1 includes candidates from 16 parties: Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party, Alba Party, All for Unity, Freedom Alliance, Independent Green Voice, Reform UK, Scotia Future, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Scottish Family Party, Scottish Green Party, Scottish Labour Party, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Scottish Libertarian Party, Scottish National Party (SNP), UK Independence Party (UKIP), and Vanguard Party.

The Conservatives and SNP lists have 12 candidates, Scottish Greens nine; while Labour and the Lib Dems have seven each.

Four candidates are standing for Alex Salmond’s new Alba Party.

Michelle Ballantyne, who has been an MSP since 2017, leads the list for Reform UK, which has four list candidates; while former SNP MSP Chic Brodie is standing for Scotia Future.

There are two candidates for Abolish the Scottish Parliament Party and seven on the list for the All For Unity party, with former MP George Galloway at the top.

The Freedom Alliance has four list candidates, while Independent Green Voice has listed a single candidate.

The Scottish Family Party has five candidates on its list and the Scottish Libertarian Party is fielding one.

UKIP has chosen five candidates and the Vanguard Party one.

The Independence for Scotland party has a candidate listed as having withdrawn from the race.

Candidates include:

• Alba: Cynthia Guthrie, Corri Wilson, Suzanne Blackley, Laurie Flynn
• Conservative: Oliver Mundell, Rachael Hamilton, Craig Hoy, Brian Whittle, Sharon Dowey, Shona Haslam, Finlay Carson, Scott Hamilton, Alex Allison, Eric Holford, Alexandra Herdman, John Denerley
• Green: Laura Moodie, Barbra Harvie, Dominic Ashmole, Katherine Malone, Charles Strang, Ciara Campbell, Peter Barlow, James Puchowski, Tristan Gray
• Labour: Colin Smyth, Carol Mochan, Martin Whitfield, Claudia Beamish, Kevin McGregor, Katherine Sangster, Ian Davidson
• Liberal Democrats: Catriona Bhatia, Jenny Marr, Richard Brodie, AC May, Euan Davidson, Amanda Kubie, Kirsten Herbst-Gray
• SNP: Emma Harper, Joan McAlpine, Paul Wheelhouse, Màiri McAllan, Richard Walker, Heather Anderson, Siobhian Brown, Stacy Bradley, Paul McLennan, Ali Salamati, Stephen Thompson, Laura Brennan-Whitefield

The South Scotland region contains the Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, most of East Lothian and parts of South Lanarkshire and Midlothian.

To view a full list of the candidates, click HERE