Extending the right to stand in elections to all foreign nationals who are permitted to vote could lead to a significant number of costly and disruptive by-elections, the Constitutional Relations Secretary has warned. Mike Russell said while legislation from the Scottish Government would extend candidacy rights to people from overseas with indefinite leave to remain, there was a "clear risk" in going further than this.
European Union and Commonwealth citizens in Scotland can already take part in Scottish Parliament and local council elections.
Scottish Government proposals would extend voting and candidacy rights to those from the rest of the world who are living in Scotland, as well as giving some prisoners the right to vote.
Mr Russell said the measures in the Scottish Elections (Franchise and Representation) Bill would give Scotland "one of the most open approaches to voting rights in the world", making a further 55,000 people eligible to vote.
But he raised concerns following calls from Holyrood's Standards, Procedures and Public Appointments Committee for the legislation to go further.
MSPs on the committee want the Bill to be altered to allow asylum seekers whose application is pending to be added to the voters' roll, as well as calling for any foreign national who has the right to vote to also be allowed to stand for election.
But Mr Russell said this "does present a clear risk of persons being elected who may lose the right to reside in the country before the end of their term, or even before polling day itself, because although leave to remain can be extended it can also be refused or curtailed".
He added: "There is a danger, therefore, that we would effectively be building a potentially significant number of unnecessary by-elect
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