The Scottish parliament is to review the widely varying ways returning officers – usually council chief executives - are paid for their work overseeing elections.
They say there is public concern over the payments, said to be worth £1m in the last two years.
Holyrood’s local government and communities committee will examine how the system for the payments works in practice and ‘consider their appropriateness’.
Returning officers - who usually carry out the work in addition to their day-to-day duties as council chiefs - are responsible for ensuring the smooth running of elections at a local, national and European level, as well as referendums.
MSPs will hear from experts in electoral law, the Electoral Reform Society, trade unions and academics, as well as returning officers themselves.
Bob Doris MSP, convener of the Scottish parliament’s local government and communities committee, said: ‘Understandably there is public concern around additional payments – reportedly worth £1m in the last two years – being made to already well-paid office holders.
‘The level of payment varies for different elections and different councils, and we’re also aware some returning officers claim their payment, while others share payments with their staff.
‘We want to find out more about how these payments operate, what their uptake is and whether they remain appropriate.’