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Holyrood opinion poll

With the publication of the interim Calman Report, do you think –
 
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US expert warns of disputed election danger Print E-mail
Wednesday, 09 May 2007

American election expert Rob Richie has warned that Scotland could face US-style recriminations and protracted lawsuits if party political figures are held responsible for difficulties with elections as happened in Scotland last week.

Richie is the chief executive of FairVote and his role saw him observe problems and disputes over American presidential elections, notably in Florida in 2000, and take part in attempts to develop systems to prevent a repeat of such problems.

As recriminations over the conduct of the election grow, and a series of potential legal challenges are discussed, Richie warns that trust in election officials may erode.

“One thing I think that is really important is that for all the finger-pointing, no one has really called into question the trustworthiness of local election officials and returning officers, because that would be a whole lot of finger-pointing and blame and that leads to bitterness among the losers that can last for a very long time.

“I think it is a cultural factor. These returning officers don’t have any tradition of being partisan, but in the US, we wouldn’t trust that and I think you will find your trust going too. I think the finger will be pointed sooner or later and that could lead to bitterness beyond simple frustration over spoiled ballots to a situation where parties start screaming that they have been cheated,” he says.

Richie also highlighted discrepancies in standards between different counting stations and even within counting stations over voter intent in spoiled ballot papers that he says needs to be rectified quickly.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 09 May 2007 )
 
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