Nominations closed for elections

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The deadline has passed for candidates wanting to stand for the Scottish Parliament and local councils.

As well as the parties which already sit at Holyrood, smaller parties are also seeking votes in both elections.

They include representatives from the Scottish Christian Party, the British National Party, the Socialist Labour Party and the UK Independence Party.

There are also people standing from the Scottish Jacobite Party and the Had Enough Party.

In the Lothians, so many people want to become MSPs that special counting machines have been brought in.

The election night count has also been moved to a bigger venue in Edinburgh.

In total there are over 2,500 candidates standing under the new proportional system of voting for local government.