Scottish Election Fiasco:
“In considering the circumstances surrounding the planning, organising and implementation of the 3 May 2007 elections in Scotland, we have observed an unfortunate pattern. Almost without exception, the voter was treated as an afterthought by virtually all the other stakeholders. Numerous factors – such as combining the ballot papers for the Scottish parliamentary elections, introducing a new voting system with different ballot paper marking requirements, the failure to conduct adequate research and testing on the impact this new system would have on the electorate, the insistence on conducting an overnight count – all indicate to us that voters were overlooked as the most important stakeholders to be considered at every stage of the election. We obviously recommend that all those with a role in organising future elections consider the voters’ interests above all other considerations.”
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