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| Rejected votes more than thought | Rejected votes more than thought |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| The number of rejected votes in the Scottish elections was much higher than previously thought. | The number of rejected votes in the Scottish elections was much higher than previously thought. |
| It had been estimated that about 100,000 ballots had been discounted, mainly because of errors in the way they were completed. | It had been estimated that about 100,000 ballots had been discounted, mainly because of errors in the way they were completed. |
| Figures obtained from returning officers show the final tally of rejected votes was almost 142,000. | Figures obtained from returning officers show the final tally of rejected votes was almost 142,000. |
| This was made up of 85,717 rejected constituency votes and 56,247 from the regional list. | This was made up of 85,717 rejected constituency votes and 56,247 from the regional list. |
| Much of the confusion seems to have been caused because voters were asked for the first time to enter their choice for the regional list and for their constituency on a single ballot paper. | Much of the confusion seems to have been caused because voters were asked for the first time to enter their choice for the regional list and for their constituency on a single ballot paper. |
| Have your say: What do you think of the elections? | Have your say: What do you think of the elections? |
| The chaos was compounded by a separate ballot paper for the local authority elections. | The chaos was compounded by a separate ballot paper for the local authority elections. |
| This used a different voting system which asked voters to use numbers to indicate their preference rather than a cross. | This used a different voting system which asked voters to use numbers to indicate their preference rather than a cross. |
| About two-thirds of the papers on the regional list were rejected because they were unmarked or otherwise unclear. | About two-thirds of the papers on the regional list were rejected because they were unmarked or otherwise unclear. |
| SPOILT BALLOTS - REGIONS Central - 4,598Glasgow - 9,000Highlands and Islands - 5,506Lothians - 9,084Mid Scotland - 6,611North East - 5,584South - 7,902West - 7,962 TOTAL - 56,247 | SPOILT BALLOTS - REGIONS Central - 4,598Glasgow - 9,000Highlands and Islands - 5,506Lothians - 9,084Mid Scotland - 6,611North East - 5,584South - 7,902West - 7,962 TOTAL - 56,247 |
| The other third were rejected because more than one candidate had been chosen. | The other third were rejected because more than one candidate had been chosen. |
| It is still not possible to say how many individuals may have been disenfranchised because some may have lost both their votes. | |
| The turnout at the election was 51.8%, with 2,016,978 constituency votes cast and 2,042,109 regional votes. | |
| That means 3.5% of the total votes cast were rejected. | |
| The figures for spoilt ballots 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 for spoilt ballots 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 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 | 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 |