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| Rejected ballots '7% of the vote' | Rejected ballots '7% of the vote' |
| (10 minutes later) | |
| The number of rejected ballot papers in the Scottish elections was almost 40,000 more than originally estimated, BBC's Newsnight Scotland has learned. | The number of rejected ballot papers in the Scottish elections was almost 40,000 more than originally estimated, BBC's Newsnight Scotland has learned. |
| Figures obtained from returning officers at each of Scotland's counts showed the final tally of rejected papers was almost 142,000. | Figures obtained from returning officers at each of Scotland's counts showed the final tally of rejected papers was almost 142,000. |
| Earlier estimates put the number of spoilt papers at about 100,000. | Earlier estimates put the number of spoilt papers at about 100,000. |
| The investigation suggested almost 7% of the total votes cast were not counted towards who was elected. | The investigation suggested almost 7% of the total votes cast were not counted towards who was elected. |
| The figures were obtained by Newsnight Scotland after Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told the House of Commons he had no idea what the true number of spoilt papers was. | The figures were obtained by Newsnight Scotland after Scottish Secretary Douglas Alexander told the House of Commons he had no idea what the true number of spoilt papers was. |
| Confusing ballot papers and the decision to hold local authority elections on the same day as the Holyrood poll have been blamed for the number of discounted votes. | Confusing ballot papers and the decision to hold local authority elections on the same day as the Holyrood poll have been blamed for the number of discounted votes. |
| The council elections were held on a separate ballot paper and under a different voting system which asked voters to use numbers to indicate their preference rather than a cross. | The council elections were held on a separate ballot paper and under a different voting system which asked voters to use numbers to indicate their preference rather than a cross. |
| Inquiry calls | Inquiry calls |
| The number of spoilt ballots caused severe delays for several counts across Scotland as election night descended into chaos. | The number of spoilt ballots caused severe delays for several counts across Scotland as election night descended into chaos. |
| The volume of spoilt papers has also led to threats of legal action, with former minister Allan Wilson consulting Labour party solicitors after losing his Cunninghame North seat by only 48 votes to the SNP. | The volume of spoilt papers has also led to threats of legal action, with former minister Allan Wilson consulting Labour party solicitors after losing his Cunninghame North seat by only 48 votes to the SNP. |
| While lawyer Mike Dailly from the Govan Law Centre has said he was considering action over the result of the Glasgow regional list. | While lawyer Mike Dailly from the Govan Law Centre has said he was considering action over the result of the Glasgow regional list. |
| An electoral commission report into the fiasco is expected to be published in the summer. | An electoral commission report into the fiasco is expected to be published in the summer. |
| SNP leader Alex Salmond has already called for a further independent inquiry into what went wrong with the electoral process. | SNP leader Alex Salmond has already called for a further independent inquiry into what went wrong with the electoral process. |
| HOLYROOD ELECTION - VOTING CONTROVERSY CONSTITUENCY SPOILT BALLOTS Aberdeen Central 776 Aberdeen North 1,173 Aberdeen South 1,139 Aberdeenshire West &Kincardine 984 Airdrie & Shotts 1,536 Angus 873 Argyll & Bute 900 Ayr 873 Banff & Buchan 1443 Caithness, Sutherland & Easter Ross 867 Carrick, Cumnock & Doon Valley 1,432 Clydebank & Milngavie 1,400 Clydesdale 1,206 Coatbridge and Chryston 1,285 Cumbernauld & Kilsyth 803 Cunninghame North 1,015 Cunninghame South 1,055 Dumbarton 1,014 Dumfries 1,006 Dundee east 913 Dundee West 978 Dunfermline East 1,162 Dunfermline West 757 East Kilbride 1,033 East Lothian 1,069 Eastwood 990 Edinburgh Central 1,501 Edinburgh E & Musselburgh 2,521 Edinburgh North & Leith 1,536 Edinburgh Pentlands 1,528 Edinburgh South 1,403 Edinburgh West 1,905 Falkirk East 1,019 Falkirk West 1,157 Fife Central 1,256 Fife North East 762 Galloway and Upper Nithsdale 978 Glasgow Anniesland 1,736 Glasgow Baillieston 1,850 Glasgow Cathcart 1,717 Glasgow Govan 1,220 Glasgow Kelvin 1,195 Glasgow Maryhill 1,877 Glasgow Pollok 2,106 Glasgow Rutherglen 1,495 Glasgow Shettleston 2,035 Glasgow Springburn 1,702 Gordon 849 Greenock & Inverclyde 1,099 Hamilton North & Bellshill 1,345 Hamilton South 711 Inverness E, Nairn & Lochaber 1,249 Kilmarnock & Loudon 1,018 Kirkcaldy 954 Linlithgow 1,722 Livingston 1,634 Midlothian 1,722 Moray 1,018 Motherwell & Wishaw 970 Ochil 1,016 Orkney 285 Paisley North 667 Paisley South 1,115 Perth 878 Renfrewshire West 956 Ross Skye & Inverness W 1,419 Roxburgh & Berwickshire 599 Shetland 294 Stirling 633 Strathkelvin & Bearsden 1,098 Tayside North 1,025 Tweeddale Ettrick & Lauderdale 814 Western Isles 446 TOTAL 85,717 Source: BBC Scotland research |