The Scottish Green Party has called for an urgent Electoral Commission investigation into Independent Green Voicefollowing the Scottish Parliament election.
The party claims the presence of Independent Green Voice on ballot papers contributed to the Scottish Greens narrowly missing out on a second MSP in Mid Scotland and Fife.
The Scottish Greens said Independent Green Voice received 2,490 votes in the region and around 20,000 votes nationally despite what the party described as having no visible campaign, manifesto or public presence.
The call follows reports that former Electoral Commission Chief Executive Bob Posner previously acknowledged concerns about possible voter confusion linked to the party’s name.
Gillian Mackay said:
“Every party that believes in fair elections should back our call for an urgent investigation into Independent Green Voice and the Electoral Commission’s handling of this disgrace.
“This is not just about the Scottish Greens.
“It is about whether voters can trust that the name on the ballot paper means what they think it means.
“Independent Green Voice is a far right spoiler party.
“It is not Green, not progressive and not connected to us in any way.
“Yet once again its presence on the ballot has confused voters and changed the outcome of a Scottish Parliament election.
“In Mid Scotland and Fife, Mags Hall should have been elected.
“Instead, voters in the region have been denied a second Green MSP they voted for because the Electoral Commission failed to act on repeated warnings.”
Mackay also claimed spoiled ballot papers suggested some voters realised the difference only after attempting to vote.
“We warned that this would happen.
“We warned that their name and branding would cause confusion.
“The Commission refused to act, and the result has been irreversibly altered, and the people of Scotland have not got the democratic outcome they wanted to vote for.”
The Scottish Greens are now calling for an investigation to conclude before next year’s local council elections.
“Today it is the Scottish Greens.
“Tomorrow it could be any party.
“That is why we are calling on the SNP, Labour, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and every pro democracy voice in Scotland to back our call for action.”
