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MPs allow access to ballot papers MPs allow access to ballot papers
(about 8 hours later)
Election investigators are to be allowed to scrutinise thousands of ballot papers which led to the voting fiasco during the Scottish elections.Election investigators are to be allowed to scrutinise thousands of ballot papers which led to the voting fiasco during the Scottish elections.
MPs have approved a change in the law which will allow Ron Gould, who is leading an inquiry, access to the approximately 140,000 rejected ballots.MPs have approved a change in the law which will allow Ron Gould, who is leading an inquiry, access to the approximately 140,000 rejected ballots.
Scrutiny of ballot papers is forbidden under current law.Scrutiny of ballot papers is forbidden under current law.
Following this morning's vote, the Scottish Secretary will be given powers to allow access to the ballots. Following this morning's vote, the Scottish secretary will be given powers to allow access to the ballots.
Access to the papers is given with the provision they are then returned and destroyed, in order to ensure the secrecy of peoples' votes.Access to the papers is given with the provision they are then returned and destroyed, in order to ensure the secrecy of peoples' votes.
There is an urgent need to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the Scottish election Alistair Carmichael MPThere is an urgent need to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the Scottish election Alistair Carmichael MP
May's elections for Holyrood and the Scottish local authorities saw a new design of ballot paper for the parliament vote and a new preferential voting system for the council seats.May's elections for Holyrood and the Scottish local authorities saw a new design of ballot paper for the parliament vote and a new preferential voting system for the council seats.
Some blamed the redesign for the estimated 140,000 rejected papers.Some blamed the redesign for the estimated 140,000 rejected papers.
The election saw the SNP emerge as Holyrood victors by a margin of just one seat.The election saw the SNP emerge as Holyrood victors by a margin of just one seat.
Appropriate legislationAppropriate legislation
The Electoral Commission appointed Ron Gould - the former assistant chief electoral officer of Canada - to lead an independent inquiry into the debacle.The Electoral Commission appointed Ron Gould - the former assistant chief electoral officer of Canada - to lead an independent inquiry into the debacle.
Mr Gould requested access to the rejected papers of May 2007 and following the decision his inquiry team will be allowed to examine patterns of voting behaviour to try to establish what went wrong. While Westminster is in charge of overseeing the Holyrood election, the Scottish Parliament has control of the council vote.
The Scotland Office previously denied it was moving too slowly in the investigation. First Minister Alex Salmond also backed moves to release council ballot papers to investigators looking into the Holyrood vote.
A spokesman for the Scotland Office had said that it was actively co-operating with Mr Gould's independent inquiry team and was already working to provide Mr Gould's team with access to ballot papers through appropriate legislation. His spokesman said further scrutiny of rejected ballots would be in everyone's interest.
Before the vote, Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael said: "There is an urgent need to get to the bottom of what went wrong with the Scottish election. He added: "The first minister agreed that he would see how this could be done.
"These ballots should have been made available as soon as the scale of the problems became clear," Mr Carmichael added. "He wants to check with the presiding officer and the other party leaders, but he thinks it would be in everyone's interest."
There were 15,000 rejected papers in 1999. Mr Salmond has said he wants a judicial review to be carried out into the election after the findings of the current investigation are published late next month.