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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Ballots 'rejected automatically' | Ballots 'rejected automatically' |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Tens of thousands of votes in the Holyrood election were rejected by the counting machines without any human adjudication, BBC Scotland has learned. | Tens of thousands of votes in the Holyrood election were rejected by the counting machines without any human adjudication, BBC Scotland has learned. |
| An investigation has established that the Scotland Office ordered the machines to reject some kinds of the new style ballots automatically. | An investigation has established that the Scotland Office ordered the machines to reject some kinds of the new style ballots automatically. |
| They never appeared on the screens to be challenged by the parties or adjudicated by returning officers. | They never appeared on the screens to be challenged by the parties or adjudicated by returning officers. |
| The Scotland Office said there was no evidence it added to voter confusion. | The Scotland Office said there was no evidence it added to voter confusion. |
| However, First Minister Alex Salmond described the development as "astonishing" and deeply disturbing. | However, First Minister Alex Salmond described the development as "astonishing" and deeply disturbing. |
| Right from the start the Scotland Office did not come clean about the mishandling of the elections David MundellShadow Scottish secretary | Right from the start the Scotland Office did not come clean about the mishandling of the elections David MundellShadow Scottish secretary |
| "I was under the impression - until this revelation - that the ballots that were rejected were actually seen by the election agents as part of the process," he said. | "I was under the impression - until this revelation - that the ballots that were rejected were actually seen by the election agents as part of the process," he said. |
| More than 140,000 ballots were spoilt on 3 May when votes were held for the Scottish Parliament. | More than 140,000 ballots were spoilt on 3 May when votes were held for the Scottish Parliament. |
| Tens of thousands more ballots were rejected for the local authority elections, which were held on the same day, under a separate electoral system. | Tens of thousands more ballots were rejected for the local authority elections, which were held on the same day, under a separate electoral system. |
| One of the enduring images of election night was of candidates and agents scrutinising screens showing the rejected ballots. | One of the enduring images of election night was of candidates and agents scrutinising screens showing the rejected ballots. |
| However, the BBC has learned that in some contests, more than half of all the "spoilt" ballots were rejected without any human adjudication. | However, the BBC has learned that in some contests, more than half of all the "spoilt" ballots were rejected without any human adjudication. |
| The machines were set to auto-adjudicate if they thought they saw a Holyrood ballot paper with a cross in one column but apparently no mark in the other. | The machines were set to auto-adjudicate if they thought they saw a Holyrood ballot paper with a cross in one column but apparently no mark in the other. |
| Human adjudication | Human adjudication |
| In those circumstances the machine would count the good vote, reject the other one and automatically put the ballot paper in the pile alongside all the correctly-completed ballots. | In those circumstances the machine would count the good vote, reject the other one and automatically put the ballot paper in the pile alongside all the correctly-completed ballots. |
| Shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said he was "appalled" by the claims. | Shadow Scottish secretary David Mundell said he was "appalled" by the claims. |
| "Unfortunately it has become part of a series of revelations. Right from the start the Scotland Office did not come clean about the mishandling of the elections," he told BBC Scotland. | "Unfortunately it has become part of a series of revelations. Right from the start the Scotland Office did not come clean about the mishandling of the elections," he told BBC Scotland. |
| The Tory MP claimed that information had to be "dragged out of" the Scotland Office. | The Tory MP claimed that information had to be "dragged out of" the Scotland Office. |
| He said: "Rather than putting their hands up and saying 'we made a complete hash of this and we apologise to the people of Scotland', they've just continued to show arrogance and contempt, as if somehow it was nothing to do with them." | He said: "Rather than putting their hands up and saying 'we made a complete hash of this and we apologise to the people of Scotland', they've just continued to show arrogance and contempt, as if somehow it was nothing to do with them." |
| Mr Mundell's Lib Dem opposite number, Alistair Carmichael, added that the Scotland Office order was "inappropriate". | |
| "Individual decisions should have been taken by returning officers in consultation with the machine operating company," he said. | |
| A special Newsnight Scotland programme - Did Your Vote Count? - will be screened on BBC2 Scotland at 1900 BST on Monday. | A special Newsnight Scotland programme - Did Your Vote Count? - will be screened on BBC2 Scotland at 1900 BST on Monday. |